Will Durant – The Story of Philosophy - Review

 

Originally a collection of eleven five-cent Blue Book installments, The Story of Philosophy was first published in its current form in 1925. Within two years, it reached over two million in sales, launching Durant's career as one of the world's most recognized and honored writers and historians.

Translated into nineteen languages, this book continues to sell consistently, used by schools and universities across the globe to introduce the Western Tradition of philosophy from Plato, Spinoza, and William James, ending with the great American educationalist, John Dewey.

As the word 'story' in the title suggests, the book is written as a narrative; this particular stylistic method was highly criticized by academics, turning their noses up in arrogant disdain because everyone could now understand this specialized subject... Nevertheless, Durant made philosophy accessible and exciting, also adding a touch of humor to an otherwise severe endeavor, he writes in the preface of the second edition:

"The 'Story' tried to salt itself with a seasoning of humor, not only because wisdom is not wise if it scares merriment, but because a sense of humor born of perspective bears a near kinship to philosophy; each is the soul of the other. But this appears to have displeased the pundits; nothing so hurt the book with them as it smiles." (xii)

Durant also clarifies that this book is by no means a substitute for reading philosophy in the original. "...God knows there is no shortcut to knowledge after forty years of seeking her one finds "Truth" still veiled, and what she shows of herself most disconcerting."

What is most important about this text, I believe, is that it could well be a starting point for a future William James, John Dewey, or a Wittgenstein. Durant's robust prose style reels the reader in, seducing, enticing, and giving you just enough to want to plunge into philosophy, boots, and all. He does what all great teachers do - creates a fascinating world for the subject and connects it to the everyday and personal.

When Durant writes about philosophy and history, he's talking about us; inviting us to explore the world and ourselves. 

If you're a teacher, student, a curious spectator, or maybe someone who tried to read philosophy and got caught up in the pitfalls of specialized terms that can riddle this subject, read this book. It may change your views and prompt more incredible things...

Daphne Du Maurier – The Breakthrough – Review

Du Maurier's short story, The Breakthrough, was published in 1966. This edition is part of Penguin Modern collection of fantastic short tales in literature. 50 little books range from Franz Kafka's Investigations of a Dog, Italo Calvino's The Distance of the Moon, to John Steinbeck's The Vigilante. In The Breakthrough, Du Maurier writes in a new genre for her, and for many, that of Science fiction/Religion. It is a disturbing story that brings up many issues, including science experimentation and its ethical boundaries.

Our protagonist, Stephen, is an electrical engineer whose boss asks to assist a leading scientist in his work. He is reluctant to go because this leading scientist is well known for his eccentricities and somewhat dubious pursuits. Nevertheless, Stephen agrees to go and discovers that the doctor's experiments are way outside the perimeters of conventional science. He decides to leave the next day but is caught up in the computing electronics that is his specialty. He will soon realize this decision to remain was a big mistake.

The eccentric scientist explains that he believes that pure electrical energy is released from the body once a person dies. For reasons not entirely specified, capturing this energy would lead science in whole new directions. MacLean is a craggy old fifty-something, dressed in the obligatory academic garb of baggy corduroys and a turtle neck sweater. But, like many of his kind, he's a single-minded, no-nonsense facts man.

Stephen meets the rest of the crew. One group member is a young 19 year old who is dying of Leukaemia. Ken is the main "guinea pig," for he will die soon, enabling MacLean to capture his energy in one of his machines. This is the plan.

I found it disturbing about the whole exercise that a young child, an intellectually disabled child, is a big part of the experiment. There is danger involved in the investigation. To include a disabled child reminded me of the Nazi scientists experimenting on children in the death camps during WWII. Overall, this puts a nasty taste in my mouth as the reader. Anyone's guess is why the author used a child in this macabre story. This may have been used to enforce a debate on science and ethics. It could have been done differently.

Ken is close to dying and is immediately laid on a surgical table and hooked up to the necessary machines. Without going into too much technical detail, the little girl is hooked up as well, used as a type of conduit between Ken and the devices. Ken suddenly dies, and after some technical drama, the machine reveals that Ken's "energy" has been captured. The girl remaining in a hypnotic state begins to scream: "Let them go...let them go...let them go."

There is something more involved in death than just pure energy.

Once again, I am continually impressed by Daphne Du Maurier's genius as a thriller writer. 

The Breakthrough is worth a read.

Musings on MSM, Covid and War.

 

Biting the bullet over the last week, I pushed myself to watch mainstream media. But, unfortunately, these are not "news outlets" but well-oiled propaganda machines run by the establishment.

The American/Australian government seems to not have a clue when it comes to handling Covid 19. Last year it was stated one didn't need to wear a mask. A short time later, the people were told that "double masking" would prevent you from getting the virus or spreading it. Then we were told that everybody must be vaccinated to eradicate the disease. Once we reached 80% vaccinated in the population, again, we were told that the number of cases would drop. Later, we were told that one must be double immunized to live everyday life and keep our jobs in some cases. Finally, we are told that being double vaccinated is not enough, and a booster will be compulsory. Every day I wake up and wonder what will be the new rules because they have been changing weekly. This being the case, people listen to mainstream news like it is gospel. In reality, it's propaganda to keep us scared and obedient consumers. The propaganda is also designed to fight each other rather than focus on our highly bribed,  and corrupt governments.

One finds oneself knee-deep in blatant propaganda when it comes to politics, foreign policy, and particularly war.

During the Trump administration, one could not avoid every western news outlet in the world spouting about Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump was a Russian agent, and Russian interference was at the level of Pearl Harbour. You were immediately branded a "Putin Puppet" or a "Kremlin Shill" if one asked for actual evidence or doubted this conspiracy on social media. The media around the world was pushing this false narrative. And every MSM consumer bought into it hook, line and sinker. Since the conspiracy has been totally debunked, known as the creation of the DNC, we don't hear a peep from these mainstream conspiracy theorists about Russia anymore. All the hate and division this propaganda campaign caused was devastating.

America's regime-change wars have always been debatable on a variety of levels. My view is war is purely a profit-making exercise and nothing else.

We just need to take a short trip down history lane and look at Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, which were all based on lies. All were profit-motivated. All included an incredible loss of life.

When you analyze a particular war or crisis, you need to understand the motivations behind it. For whom does this benefit? Who benefited from all the "conflicts" mentioned above? It's apparent that militarily, these conflicts were all failures. However, from a profit standpoint, all were great successes. Afghanistan, for example, militarily was an utter disaster. However, it was an operational success in revenue for the weapon manufacturers and their subsidiaries.

Since the 'war on terror' has settled down in the middle east, a new money-making exercise must be put in place to ensure more profits. Suddenly China is the new global villain. The lies and propaganda coming out of mainstream media about China have been nonstop. Australia, the loyal poodle of the empire, has sacrificed economically because the realm pushed for war with the sleeping dragon. China is Australia's leading trading partner, but the global mafia don has spoken, "You're either with us or against us." So the corporations give their orders, and you better fall in line.

The only people who have profited from Covid 19 are the top 5% of the world's population. Although Covid 19 is an actual virus, the scare tactics and imposed mandates on people from government and corporations have been relentless. For who does this virus benefit? Governments and the wealthy elite. Only the little guy has suffered economically, psychologically, and otherwise.

Propaganda is designed to keep the population in constant fear and division. These lies come from corporate media and our corporate-owned politicians. This should be obvious to many; however, despite MSM lying to us continually, people still believe their fear-mongering and money-motivated propaganda.

Indeed, we currently live in an upside-down world. Where truth-tellers are persecuted and imprisoned, the criminals run free, making gross amounts of cash – blood money.

We need to wake up.

Amor Towles – The Lincoln Highway – Review

After reading A Gentleman in Moscow earlier this year, my first thought was Amor Towles had reached his peak as an intriguing and competent novelist. The uniqueness and depth of Gentleman, to my mind, couldn't be surpassed. Well, fortunately for his readers, I could not have been more wrong. The Lincoln Highway is an example and triumph of excellent 21st-century storytelling.

Generally, this is an American Road tale. However, it's really an "almost" road story because the characters never really hit the Lincoln Highway but are obstructed from doing so, even traveling in reverse to New York rather than their intended destination of California.

It is Midwest 1954. Emmett, our 18-year-old protagonist, has just been released from a delinquent detention facility. However, he is dropped off at his farm to find it has been foreclosed by the bank. In addition, Emmett's father has died, leaving him with his younger brother, Billy. This child is undoubtedly precocious, only 8 years of age, with a razor-sharp mind of a 30-year-old genius.

We meet the other two main characters who decide to escape the reformatory by hiding in the trunk of the warden's car. While Emmett is looking over his late 40's Studebaker, Duchess and Woolly suddenly appear, standing in front of his garage.

The book is written from the particular perspectives of the characters. All characters are written in the third person, while Duchess and Sally are written in the first. This is an exciting storytelling tool, giving their respective feelings and thoughts about the same circumstances. The Lincoln Highway is at once a character-driven story and an adventure/thriller at the same time.

Mirroring the actual trials of these characters is a book that little Billy reads daily: Professor Abacus Abernathe's Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers. The heroes and travelers range from fictional to actual men. The hero often referred to is Ulysses from Homer's The Odyssey. Emmett and Billy's adventures on a freight train to New York meet a WWII vet of the same name, whose circumstances are similar to the Greek legend. This character has an astounding tale of survival of his own that is nothing less than astonishing. The huge black WWII Vet, Ulysses, is a beautiful character.

The most colorful and tragic character has to be Duchess. The son of an ambulant Shakespearean actor, the boy, learns the ways of the entertainer, a Carnival lifestyle using the tricks of the trade to merely survive. The young man is flamboyant, charming, and a natural con. We discover that Duchess's backstory is tragic and quite sad. We come to understand his criminal-est ways, his flair for the dramatic, and the well-guarded facade he shows the world.

This is a beautiful novel and one that should be read again and again.

 

A Disgrace: Julian Assange Extradition

 

The news that the UK High Court ratified Julian Assange's extradition to the United States came as a shock but indeed not a surprise. Similar to the government of Australia, the United Kingdom follows the commands of Imperialistic America like a well-trained poodle.

For centuries, the UK judicial system was something Western countries could emulate. Now, like every other branch of government, those in high places follow the orders of the Military-Industrial Complex. To be sure, it is disgraceful and a system that deserves our scorn.

As I write this, news has broken that Assange has experienced a stroke. At this stage, we don't know how severe the attack was, but its timing is appropriate considering the level of persecution the publisher has experienced over the last ten years.

What is astonishing is the number of foremost stream journalists skating around the real issue here. This is not just about one publisher. This is about press freedom. Extraditing an Australian citizen for publishing embarrassing truths about the Empire, war crimes should be frightening to anyone concerned about our humanitarian and civil rights. These "journalists" in mainstream media have often been called stenographers for the Military-Industrial Complex. Attempting to listen to these soulless fools lie to the public about Assange was absolutely painful. When you work for the "man," lying and misinforming the public is essentially your job. It's a wonder how so many people continue to take these pseudo-journalists seriously. Yet, the misinformation continues without consequence.

When a true dissident and truth-teller exposes the machinations of the establishment, they are attacked, dragged through the court of public opinion, and imprisoned. So anyone claiming to be left-wing, a truth-teller, and adored by the establishment is a fraud. So the authorities put dissidents and truth-tellers in jail...and send their ghost-written new book to the NYT Bestseller list.

This latest decision to extradite Julian Assange to the United States has come with assurances from the government. One of the conditions is if found guilty, will be sent to Australia to serve his sentence. Please, don't believe a word of this rubbish. Once on US soil, the man will disappear into their prison system. The US prison system is infamous for its horrendous conditions and cruelty. The US government is a liar, and I don't see them changing their tune now.

It appears to be human nature to blame others for one's condition. In the case of the US presidential 2016 election, the warmonger and wall street puppet, Hillary Clinton, accused the FBI and Wikileaks of her colossal loss in the election. Morons blamed Russia and Wikileaks for her defeat when it was her corruption that the leaks revealed that contributed to this loss. When it comes to the democratic party, it's always Wikileaks or Russia's fault for everything. This is the primary reason the Biden Administration continues its prosecution of the publisher. Revealing their endemic corruption will never be forgotten.

What I find the most disheartening of all is that now the Judicial system has been corrupted by those in power. I was reminded of the Donziger case, where the lawyer was under house arrest for a misdemeanor and later put in jail. See article: https://sychronicity1.blogspot.com/2021/10/assangedonzigner-similar-corruption. His only crime was suing a corporate oil giant for committing environmental maleficence. The judge and the prosecutors, in this case, are both financed by the same corporation. This is pure and unadulterated corruption and a wholly compromised judicial system.

The Julian Assange extradition case has set a precedent for all investigative journalists and the news media itself. A good journalist will now think twice when a source presents them with classified information. "Well hell, if I publish these government crimes, will they come after me, no matter what country I live in." Nevertheless, there is certain information that the population needs to know about their respective governments. In all its forms, war crimes and corruption fall in the category of the 'public right to know.'

The fourth estate is in the constitution to "keep the bastards honest." A government that acts in secrecy is anathema to a democracy. If a free press is compromised, a totalitarian government is a result.

The decision to extradite an Australian publisher for exposing government war crimes and corruption has set a new precedent.

Now anyone exposing the crimes of power is fair game.

The Arrogance of the US and NATO - (Opinion)

Written December 9, 2021. Still relevant.

This latest rubbish from American neocons and their NATO allies concerning going to war with Russia if they militarily invade Ukraine is the same arrogant rhetoric we have heard from these clowns for years.

SINCE THE COLD WAR, the US has wanted Ukraine to break from mother Russia. But, unfortunately, these short-sighted, history-blind-blood fools don't understand the long history the countries have had for centuries.

I married a Ukrainian and acquired great insight into the Russia/Ukrainian relationship. Since Stalin's purging of the country after WWII, a small group would undoubtedly prefer to break away from Russia and become independent. This was during the Cold War; since the fall of the Berlin wall and Glasnost,' many of these independence seekers have had a change of heart.

Note: NATO is a redundant organization. Their only task now is to protect western energy interests.

Over centuries, the two peoples have interacted and are connected by blood. When I married into the family, my mother-in-law was from Ukraine, and her husband was Russian. My grandmother-in-law considered herself German after migrating there after the fall of the Romanov dynasty. Although she was initially from Ukraine, her husband was born in Moscow. I remember going to events in Melbourne for each country celebrating their respective heritage. Although my wife is Ukrainian, we were married in the Russian Orthodox Church. So the Russia/Ukraine relationship goes back many years, and the black and white narrative given to us by the Military-Industrial Complex is false.

From my observation, the US and their allies have been causing trouble on the Russian border for years. Last century, the US and their allies promised that NATO forces would not march too close to the Russian border and did it anyway, going back on their promise. US Corporations have been stirring the pot in Ukraine for a long time. In fact, the latest news corroborated is the sale of US weapons to Neo-Nazis in Ukraine. My research has revealed that the so-called "freedom fighters" in Ukraine are actually full-blown Nazis. This is disturbing in a multitude of ways.

The US warmongers in the Biden Administration have warned that boots-on-the-ground war with Russia can almost be assured if they invade Ukraine militarily. This is to, of course, ensure US hegemony on the planet. What a pack of self-entitled, self-serving American exceptionalist, arrogant fools.

But that's the rub. War with Russia is not about ensuring Ukraine can live in a better democracy, following US economic dictates, thus avoiding sanctions, but maintaining US hegemony over the planet. This is not about freeing the Ukrainian people from Russian authoritarian rule but keeping a stranglehold on the entire world without opposition. If you believe otherwise, you have not been paying attention.

This latest sword-rattling by the US and their brown-nosing allies is dangerous. Russia is not an existential threat to the world. The only threat to world peace is the ongoing machinations of the US war machine.

Scott Turow - Ultimate Punishment: A Lawyer's Reflections on Dealing with the Death Penalty – Review.

 

Rendered with his fictional writing flair, Turow has tackled a subject matter that deals with life and death. In this short though thorough essay, the novelist reflects on the death penalty's many arguments.

In March 2000, a Moratorium on executions was declared by the Governor of Illinois, George Ryan. After two years of deliberation, Turow and many distinguished lawyers and academics submitted their recommendations. As a result of these findings, Ryan made international news by commuting the sentences of 167 persons left on death row. (This made headline news in Australia as the death penalty here was abolished over forty years ago) It should go without saying that this was a bold move by the Governor and potential political suicide. However, at the end of his tenure, he decided to choose and act on that choice. This book summarises the many aspects of the Moratorium's deliberations, which is fascinating reading.

Before the Moratorium, Turow admits that he was a "Death Penalty Agnostic." In other words, the man was a fence sitter, refusing to take a stand either way. After two years on the committee, and by the end of the essay, if asked whether Illinois should retain Capital Punishment, his answer is a confident, No. After reading the many reasons for and against the debate, I found it understandable why he fell off the fence. The system is fallible, and the fact that we seem to be hard-wired for revenge; it has been all too easy, in our zealousness for justice or retribution, to execute innocent people. This has occurred far too often for any government to be comfortable executing its citizens. But of course, as Turow plainly points out, this issue is a complex one, which begs to be further unpacked, potently analyzed, to make it law, either way, across the boards.

From my reading, the actual recommendations from the committee are reasonable and fair. For example, ensuring the videotaping of all questioning of a capital suspect conducted on a police facility; that the eligibility criteria for the death penalty are narrowed to five points; that the death penalty is not available when a conviction is based only on the testimony of a single eyewitness. (p. 122)

The Moratorium did not want the death penalty abolished entirely; however, these recommendations are designed to ensure an innocent defendant stands a lesser chance of wrongful execution.

This was a political decision. No government has the "Right" to execute its citizens. 

Turow writes excellent novels about the law. This work has approached a subject that absolutely requires further debate. And he has done it with honesty and enthusiasm with a novelist's flair and elegance.

Good reading.

Oliver Stone – Chasing the Light – Review

 

Over the last 35 years, I've always looked at Oliver Stone as primarily a film director. After reading his memoir, Chasing the Light, to discover he's, first and foremost, a writer was a great discovery. It's only been lately that I've delved into the world of Hollywood: directors, producers, and screenwriters. To see that he penned two of my favorite films, Midnight Express and Scarface, winning the Oscar for best screenplay for the latter, reinforced my admiration for this artist. 

The son of an intelligent WWII vet and a French mother, Stone maps out his rebellious nature from the beginning. Stone was not destined for an inside-the-lines life trajectory. Dropping out of university to write a novel. Joining the military during the Vietnam war, driving taxis, and writing screenplays in cold Manhattan one-room apartments, one can see how his early films and later ones ruffled the establishment's feathers.

The first 100 pages of the memoir are a young Stone finding his way. His bent for writing was obviously with him at a young age. His stint at NYU studying film brought his goals into focus. Hearing Martin Scorsese speak at the university had a significant impression on the fledgling filmmaker:

...and his classes were fun, punctuated by rapid-fire dialogues, irreverence at every level, but at the same time, he understood the sacred stakes we were playing for, and then very few of us in these classes would succeed. I know I felt this, perhaps because I was older than most of my classmates. (p. 61)

Stone's experiences in Vietnam changed the man. Indeed without thinking, freshly back from war, he carried some drugs over the border from Mexico into the U.S. and got caught. Languishing in jail, he finally had the opportunity to call his conservative father. Dad bailed him out, setting the creative thought process behind his two successful screenplays: Midnight Express and Platoon.

As a consumer of film, I had no idea what it takes to make one from start to finish. Reading about the finance aspect of the business is enough to put anyone off the industry. Let alone the initial idea; the screenplay and its numerous rewrites, financing; actual filming; actors, sets, locations, etc. Stone opens the window to this world, so anyone pushing to get into the business as a director and writer should actually think twice – I certainly did. Personally, I realized that creating a film is a wholly collaborative exercise. Each person and department play a crucial role towards the end product. We forget this as the audience.

One can really see and feel the blood, sweat, and tears in the making of Salvador. I had always heard about the phenomenon, but it takes a specific type of personality to work with prominent name actors. The word "primadonna" comes to mind x10. Yes, actors are extraordinary, but to behave like small children when they're making so much money is embarrassing. I like James Woods as an actor, but his spoilt brat antics on the set were a little hard to take. That said, what superb acting in Salvador – an Oscar-winning performance.

The memoir ends with Platoon winning Best Picture and Oliver receiving Best Director.

Stone is an excellent writer. Similar to a good thriller, the text pulls you into his life, including all the ups and downs. Unfortunately, the memoir ends at a high point in Oliver Stone's career. Knowing what I know now about his films, work, and life post Platoon, the next installment of his autobiography should be another riveting ride.

We'll have to wait and see.

Imperialist Brainwashing

 

While on social media the other day, I came across many disturbing tweets from self-proclaimed "leftists" ranting about the threat of China on the 'free world.' You'll discover many of these people, 1) have never been to China or even left the borders of the US., and 2) have zero understanding of China's history and appear to be echoing State Department talking points.

Over the last 20 years, China has lifted a vast segment of its population out of poverty. But you never hear about this from our western governments or our MSM. China has not invaded another country in over a century. Indeed, unlike the United States, China has a free higher education and health system. Yet, the US government has always been quick to criticize other countries' social and political affairs. The wealthiest nation on the planet, notwithstanding, poverty is rising, student debt is in the billions, the health system is run by corporate gangsters, and the country has been at war since the 18^th century. The hypocrisy is ridiculously laughable.

In Australia, we have an authoritarian right-wing government that does what it's told from the UK and the United States. When the US asks Australia to jump, we respond, "how high, mate." This has been the case since at least WWII.

Indeed, having been alive for a while, moderately educated and traveled, why do much more intelligent and accomplished people than I seem to fall for the imperialist party line? Why do people from the West view that somehow we are better than everyone else and must stick our noses into countries where we have no right to do so? Why do we continue to accept mainstream narratives that somehow we're "exceptional" and bomb other countries back to our kind of democracy?

The answer to this is we have been bombarded for years with false narratives, creating the other, and that the other should be feared and conquered. In the last 50 years, at least, war has never been about toppling dictatorships and freeing the world to our high western values. Every war has been about absolute profit for the oligarchy. The US and their allies, for the most part, have economies based on war. Corporate profit for the elite. The problem is this has been going on for years, and educated people continue to wave the flag and rattle the sword for some lofty ideals that really no longer exist.

When I see grown men and women spreading blatant war propaganda, particularly self-proclaimed leftist, I realize that over a century of brainwashing has seeped in and has become the fabric of their world views.

War is an abstraction. Until, of course, one has been on the battlefield or on the receiving end of carpet bombs. A citizen is placed in prison for killing another human being. Though murdering thousands in a foreign land is acceptable and insanely justified.

Even though our governments have lied to us about going to war over the last twenty years, we are tricked by false flags; we continue to believe what our government tells us. Some even on major (independent) platforms, claiming to be progressive, repeat the lies for war. The brainwashing is so inculcated into our psyches that we repeat the same ridiculous lies. This is the definition of insanity.

For sure, I don't have a solution. But when the MSM continues to keep us fighting each other over silly political ideals, pushing regime change, and commenting on cultural issues that distract, nothing will change.

But something has to change.

Stefan Zweig – The Post Office Girl – Review

 

Zweig only published one novel during his lifetime: Beware of Pity. Shortly after his suicide in 1942, an unpublished manuscript was found in a drawer in his study. The novel was in a first draft form and later picked up and hammered into a readable work. The Post Office Girl became Zweig's second novel.

At the end of WWI, during the Treaty of Versailles, the French wanted to punish Germany for reparations. In a word, this was a policy of 'overkill,' creating vast poverty and suffering across the defeated Austro-Hungarian Empire. One hears stories of young lads carrying piles of marks in wheelbarrows to purchase a single loaf of bread. Similar to all wars, the consequences of war go way beyond a bullet. The ordinary citizen suffers the most while the few grow rich, benefiting from the spoils of death. Blood money.

The Post Office Girl examines the financial ruin and massive unemployment in Austria after WWI. Christine, a 29-year-old daughter of a middle-class Austrian family, toils at a local Post Office for years after the war, earning only enough wages to barely eat and live.

At the beginning of the tale, Christine appears to accept her menial lot: living in a one-bedroom garret, taking care of her sick mother. The routine of the Post Office and taking care of her mother goes on for some years. Christine really knows nothing else apart from this little bubble of an impoverished existence. Only until a telegram arrives from her rich aunt from America.

Christine's mother is invited to meet her sister in a swank hotel in Switzerland. Because she is too sick to travel, Christine goes instead. This experience for Christine sets in motion a considerable transformation of mind as she is introduced to how the wealthy exist. Christine's aunt buys her beautiful clothes and introduces her to the wealthy guests in the hotel. Christine becomes an entirely different person, charming, happy with a newfound zest for life. This comes all crashing down when a jealous woman does some digging to discover Christine's true impoverished origins. The aunt becomes fearful that her friends will find her dubious past and sends her niece home in less than a day. Christine, of course, is devastated.

Many critics have called this novel a 'Cinderella' remake. A poor girl of diminished means attends the ball of the King. And from the stroke of midnight is returned to whence she came. Though the Post Office Girl is much deeper, complex, and nuanced than the famous fairy tale, this is the basic premise. This novel is a critical examination of Capitalism and the results of war.

When Christine returns to her old life, she becomes mean, critical and bitter. She feels now that her life is devoid of any meaning. However, this new transformation turns dark when she meets a man with similar sensibilities – cynical and feeling that the war has robbed him of his actual life. So, in fact, Christine experiences two transformations, indeed pendulum swings in the extreme.

I came to realize that those who really experience war understand its lies and diabolical consequences. Those who cheer for war or "regime change" are the ones who only understand the conflict in the abstract sense. These kinds of people are blatantly ignorant and highly dangerous, depending on their level in society.

Generally, Zweig's final novel gives us a window into Austria just after WW1. The poverty and hopelessness are visceral for the reader.

A worthwhile read.

Daphne du Maurier –The Scapegoat - Review

 

The theme of the living double or strange twin is not uncommon in literature. In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's, The Double (1846) Mr. Golyadkin believes he sees himself on a train, haunted by this manifestation. He becomes obsessed with meeting himself, chasing this figure endlessly through the streets of St Petersburg. Many have commented that this nightmarish story is ultimately about the fear of confronting one's darker nature, the terrible "other", and if viewed in totality, could well lead to death.

In The Scapegoat, du Maurier explores a similar theme, where the protagonist, John, a very English and staid history lecturer of French culture, one evening meets his exact double in the train station at Le Mans. John is bored, searching for some connection to life, a meaning to his empty existence. Jean de Gue, however, has a full life, a member of an aristocratic family, a wife, child and a century's old business and the many problems that come with so many connections and responsibilities. He's not happy with this life and wants only to escape. Both men have dinner, drink too much, and John wakes up the next morning to find his cloths and belongings vanished, and Gaston, the driver and head servant, ready to drive him (John) back to the Chateau, St Giles. John decides to play the role of Jean de Gue's scapegoat, though in a few days, finds himself inextricably involved, emotionally and otherwise, in de Gue's affairs and family.

Du Maurier is an excellent writer. John's journey into the world of his double is strangely intriguing, as he narrates his deceptions and observations, and how easily he falls into the role. No one in the family suspects his masquerade, though he comes very close to revealing himself many times. The repressed emotions and history of du Gue's family runs deep and hold numerous dark secrets. I found myself rushing through the tale to discover these secrets and what John will do next. The plot sounds outlandish on the surface, but this is psychological realism at its best, causing this reader at least, to become obsessed with how the story finally resolves itself - and it is not disappointing.

These characters certainly come from another time and another place. Jean de Gue's daughter, Marie-Noel, is a deeply religious child who experiences visions and loves her father beyond words. My thought was that if any of the family would see through John's deceptions, it would be the child. This young child, through her innocence, is the only voice of truth in the house, and her antics and precocious dialogue speaks of another time - a truly unique and memorable character.

This is a masterful piece of literature, a unique thriller that will be just as fascinating and entertaining for readers a hundred years from now.

Ethiopia: Here we go Again.

The US meddling in the African country of Ethiopia is not what the state department says it is. Even after 50 years of false flags and illegal wars from Vietnam to Iraq and Syria, including numerous dirty wars in South America, anyone over the age of 25 and an average IQ should realize that US wars overseas have nothing to do with humanitarian actions or "saving democracy."War is purely an economic venture for international corporations to make a profit. The millions killed over the last 20 years had nothing to do with any threat to the US or their kiss arse allies. The excuse for invading Iraq was based on an elaborate lie in a concerted effort with the mainstream media and governments to declare war for Iraq's resources, primarily their oil.

When the UK and US were interested in Syria, in the early 2000s, many democratic and republican politicians met with Assad to "get them on our side." Assad wouldn't allow a particular oil pipeline from going through his country. This pipeline would close Russia off from their main profits in the area. At first, prominent Assad politicians and military personal were offered hefty bribes to turn against the Assad government. This didn't work. A civil war was instigated, and anyone who has been paying attention knows the rest of the story to the present time. I wish people would wake up and smell the corporate war crimes and sociopathic empires' desire for global hegemony.

The US ventures in Latin American countries to topple socialist governments or governments who simply want economic autonomy are too many to list. The last coup in Bolivia by a US-supported right-wing government is a recent example. The amount of civilian and indigenous deaths from the coup are countless. This has recently changed since a people's government has been elected. But why the US interest in Bolivia? Their natural resource is Lithium. And Lithium is valuable for cell phone technology and electric cars.

During the Trump administration, all the hoopla surrounding Venezuela has nothing to do with installing true democracy in the country. Indeed, not surprising, Venezuela is the wealthiest country on the planet in natural oil reserves. So naturally, US oil corporations desire that affluent resource. So, the US and its allies spread propaganda about its current government and attempts to install their own puppet leader.

The current propaganda from the State Department pushed through by corporate media regarding Ethiopia is really laughable if it wasn't so dangerous. The real reason for the US interference is China has an excellent relationship with Ethiopia.

You can look it up, but the main reason for the US sticking their nose into Ethiopia's business, a country that no one talks about in the west, is what's called the 'Belt and Road Initiative. So again, this is totally about owning another country's resources. And nothing to do with "terror" or "saving democracy." 

I wish the masses would wake up to the absolute lies when it comes to US wars overseas. War has always been about profit, and anything else you're told is rubbish.

George Prochnik – The Impossible Exile – Review

 

The international best-selling author Stefan Zweig, during the height of his literary fame in 1942, while living in exile in Brazil, made a suicide pact with his young wife and secretary, Lotte. The household staff discovered Zweig and his wife in bed. He was wearing crumpled slacks and a dress shirt and necktie. Lotte was wearing a Kimono, lying on her side, her face burrowed in the shoulder of her husband. Because Lotte's body was still warm, it was determined that she had taken the poison much later than her husband. One can only speculate what was going through the young woman's mind. 

I came across the writings of Stefan Zweig around 2012. After his death, Zweig's writings almost went into obscurity. That said, over the last 20 years, his work has experienced a new resurgence in countries all across the globe. My introduction was a collection of short stories lent to me by a friend. Later I read, Beware of Pity and The World of Yesterday, his seminal autobiography that, for me, is a brilliant piece of history and literature.

Prochnik's biography of Zweig is an obvious labor of love. As the title suggests, the central theme is exile, immigration, and the notion of statelessness. An Austrian citizen, Zweig was forced into exile because of the Nazi occupation of his country. Prochnik's father was also an Austrian exile during this time, escaping into the winter's night, leaving all his property with only those things he could hold on his person. As a result, Prochnik's father immigrated to the United States. Zweig first went to England and was eventually naturalized as a British citizen. He then traveled to New York for a stint of time, ending up in Brazil.

The millions of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi oppression have been well documented. The feeling of "displacement" is an actual condition. Zweig would help his fellow emigres with money and shelter. He was born into a wealthy family and became rich in his own right from his extensive book sales. That position of 'statelessness" and displacement was indeed a contributing factor to his self-destruction. Prochnik writes:

In truth, the overriding motive for his suicide was his sense that he was already doing so, against his will – leading, again in Keats's phrase, a posthumous existence. "My inner crises consists in that I am not able to identify myself with me of my passport, the self-exile..." (P.334)

When the Nazis began their reign of terror, expanding their armies across Europe, Zweig was not only troubled spiritually from his exile, but I sensed a natural fear of the Nazis themselves. He would always ask someone in whatever country he was visiting or living in if they thought the Nazis would occupy that country. When requesting a laid-back Brit, the response was "no, of course not." In the last year of his life, he asked a cafe owner in the Brazilian town he was living in if the Nazis would invade South America, and the response was, "Yes, they most likely will." The writer was noticeably disturbed.

Stefan Zweig brushed shoulders with the artistic and intellectual class before and after WWI. Einstein, Freud, Mahler, Klimt, Schnitzel, Roth and Robert Musil. Sigmund Freud escaped Vienna to England in the late '30s as well as Zweig. When Freud died in 1939, Zweig spoke at the famous doctor's funeral. Pre-WWI -WWII Vienna is an exciting time. Described by some as an artistic, intellectual pressure cooker of ideas. However, most of the creative and intellectual culture left Vienna with the arrival of the Nazi regime.

Prochnik's biography is not your typical cradle to the grave narration. Instead, the focus is describing the cultural and literary milieu with elegant prose during Zweig's exciting life.

Zweig is most known for his novellas and short stories. However, he had a prolific outpouring of biographical studies – books and essays on Mahler, Goethe, Dostoevsky, Freud, Nietzsche, and Charles Dickens. Zweig was a champion of European culture and humanist values. He also, like Einstein, was extremely anti-war.

The Impossible Exile- Stefan Zweig at the End of the World was a pleasure to read.

Jeffrey Archer - A Matter of Honor - Review

This novel is a polished work.

Despite the novel written during an "unsteady" time in international politics, when "Spy" stories, at least in the US, were at their peak, and the "Stasi" in East Berlin were coming up with diabolical methods to turn the world into a communist utopia, creating a people, apathetic cyber- punks, disinterested in the physical world - Archer remained focused, writing a tale of honesty, a Bull's Eye, and showing strains of genius. This novel as a "genre" should stand proud with the best Ludlum, Carrier, etc. Discovered, though, Archer's work crosses many genres; his short stories, having read, should make my case.

Captain Adam Scott is young, handsome, with thick black hair and blue eyes, charming, and brought up to be a proper English gentleman. The Captain's father, Colonel Gerald Scott, has been shamed. Rumor amongst the lads tells us he has collaborated with the enemy, a guard at Nuremberg at the war's end. The novel begins at the Old man's death, the lawyer reading his Will, giving an envelope to Adam, the only son, a document that could change the world. What is in this letter?

In this genre, the antagonist is down-right evil, a worthy adversary, and a protagonist that realizes he has a worthy opponent. A KGB operative, Romanov, a child from a long line of royalty, is a true psychopath, and for many, a real "bad dude." A worthy opponent for the young man, Captain Adam Scott, a challenge for not only the measure of one's strength and smarts but a matter of honor.

 

There is no Left in Modern Politics

 

The True Left in modern-day western politics has all but disappeared. Similar to a first-year post-modernism student, they take the bits that sound good a discard the rest. Politics is "relative" they would offer, and all institutions, laws, and philosophies are hierarchical; a grand narrative to keep our minds closed to ensure we follow the rules and be good "citizens." Everything is perspective, and "we all have our own truths." Then, of course, there are "alternative truths" and objective truth, which is measured science, no longer exists and is part of the past. We claim to care about our fellow humans and support American imperialism, foreign wars, and continue to vote for corporate-run politicians. So what happened to the Left?

There's one sure-fire way to spot a faux socialist: they all support and promote imperialist propaganda. There's also a sure-fire way to spot those who spread propaganda and misinformation about socialism: they'll compare it to Stalinist Russia. They'll call you a supporter of right-wing dictatorships. They will call socialism Godless and the "word" of the devil. All this misinformation either comes from a deep place of ignorance and brainwashing or intentional slandering to promote a right-wing, anti-worker agenda.

The litmus test is simple: they are not left-wing if one calls themselves a socialist and promotes establishment narratives, including post-colonialism and regime change operations.

I find it exhausting and disgusting to see self-proclaimed "leftists" promote regime change and war with other countries when said countries pose zero threat. Yet, for some reason, these people feel morally superior to such an extent that the U.S. and their allies must intervene and bomb the place back to democracy.

In the United States, the democratic party to all outside the country appears to be the Right-wing. There's no universal healthcare; higher education is designed only for the wealthy elites. American tax dollars mainly go towards the "defense budget." Billions of $ go to the military, and hardly anyone blinks an eye. This is while basic jobs are paid 1950's level minimum wage, and solid manufacturing jobs have been outsourced overseas. This is not to mention a failing infrastructure, roads, and bridges crumbling before our eyes.

Capitalism is dead. There is only so much rhetorical propaganda you can throw at the people before they start to realize they're getting royally screwed.

People have forgotten that socialism is a political system where the working class owns the means of production. Workers understand that their labor is for the benefit of everyone. Taxes go to universal healthcare, free education, infrastructure, and an inexpensive transport system. The worker can own their own homes and can look forward to a stress-free retirement. Currently, under our capitalist neoliberal system, none of this is possible because the few have stolen all the means of production and have bled the working class to finance their endless wars.

To see the so-called Left in the U.S. absolutely destroyed in the last election was disheartening. To see Justice democrats such as "the squad" turn their backs on their respective constituents goes beyond a simple betrayal. The saddest is to see those people who voted this faux left into power and continue to support and protect them from criticism is almost hard to believe. The people have been so propagandized that progressive policies (that never eventuate) appear Left to them when they are far-right issues in reality.

During the '70s and '80s, Australia was under a working democratic socialist government. The attack on socialism began in the '70s. We have been under a right-wing liberal government for the last 30 years. Our living standards have fallen as a result.

Since the outbreak of Covid 19, my home state of Victoria has experienced the harshest lock-downs on the entire planet. Authoritarian control is blatant. We see more cuts to social services and education while the government makes trillion-dollar deals with weapon manufactures to build nuclear subs.

Socialism is not the devil in disguise. But, of course, it is portrayed that way by greedy business interests and fascist governments to sway you from a system that supports the ordinary worker and the overall betterment of society.

There is no genuine Left in our modern political landscape.

This must change.

Stefan Zweig – Chess – Review

 

Chess is Stefan Zweig's last published novella. After an imposed exile in Brazil in 1941, he and his young wife committed suicide. Many have speculated why the great writer and his wife self-destructed in bed in their apartment in Buenos Aires on that fateful day. When you read Zweig's acclaimed autobiography, The World of Yesterday, the writer's concerns about the Nazis invasion and occupation of his beloved Austria, the hardships in the wake of WWI, and the rise of fascism in Europe, in exile and away from his countrymen, I believe were all contributing factors to the double suicide. It is said that Zweig wrote the last page of his autobiography on the day of his death. Chess became an international bestseller.

Chess begins on a cruise ship headed to South America. Our narrator, hinting he's a publisher of sorts, is told by his companion that the world's chess champion is on board. Mirko Czentovic is an odd one. The son of a fisherman who becomes orphaned after his father's boat is crushed by a freight ship, the local priest takes him in and attempts to educate the boy. Czentovic is illiterate and remains so even after years of trying to teach him. Generally, he's apathetic and will do nothing of his own accord unless asked to do so. The priest is an avid chess player, and Mirko sits quietly observing the game. Merely from observation, he learns the game and becomes a master. I believe it was Wittgenstein who defined genius as the mind's laser focus on a single object. Mirko is lacking in everything else but chess. While reading about Czentovic, the condition of Autism came to mind.

Dr. B is undoubtedly the most interesting character in the tale. Connected to the Austrian elite, his family is well recognized. Dr. B's law firm takes care of the Royal families financial affairs. The Nazis occupied Austria, and he his taken prisoner and interrogated for many months. The man is not tortured in the physical sense but is isolated in a hotel room with only a bed, washbasin, wallpaper, and a single-window facing a wall. Isolation is a proven form of torture designed to break the prisoner's mind. The doctor describes it like,

...you lived like a diver under a glass dome in the black ocean of this silence, and even worse, like a diver who already guesses that the cable connecting him to the world outside has broken and he will never be pulled up from those soundless depths. (P.41)

B. manages to steal a book that describes particular chess games of the world's masters. There is not an introduction or explanation, just the numbered moves of a specific match. He describes the book as 'algebra without the key.' Taking his mind off the "abyss," he plays each game in his head. The matches become three-dimensional in his mind. This mental exercise keeps the man sane until he moves away from the structured games, and he now must play himself. B's mind is split into two: White and Black, and these mental gymnastics become obsessive and pathological. Later he breaks down and is moved to the hospital.

Dr. B is on the cruise ship heading to South America. He is asked to play the grandmaster. The only problem is that Dr. B has never physically played the game on an actual chessboard or played a natural person. The result of the match is disturbing.

This novella is a parable of what is a true genius and the notion of theory and practice. Dr. B understands the game in his mind but has never practiced the game in the physical sense. This is education 101. For example, a training teacher sits in the classroom listening to lectures and reading the literature. But until they stand in front of a school, applying the theory into practice, they will never know if they can do the job.

Chess is a long short story. And for me, at least, once again revealing that Stefan Zweig is a brilliant writer.

Harlan Coben – Run Away – Review

Many writers have called Harlan Coben the 'master of the twist' in the modern novel thriller. After reading Run Away, this description of his storytelling is well deserved. In all honesty, it has been years since beginning a novel in the late afternoon, breaking only for meals and water, and reading late into the following day. This novel pulls you into its world like a potent drug or an ominous black hole. Finally, after all the loose ends were tied up, sleep came easy, listening to the morning birds sing outside my window. "Entertaining" is the appropriate descriptor for this tale.

Most Netflix viewers are aware that a few of Coben's novels have been adapted to film. The most notable of these adaptations is Safe and The Stranger. Although I haven't had the opportunity to read the books, I've seen the TV shows respectively and was impressed by the stories, including their twist and turns and surprising endings. Coben is a gifted storyteller.

Run Away begins with the protagonist, Simon Greene, sitting on a park bench in Central Park. He observes the various representatives of humanity and is specifically interested in the buskers playing for coins along the path. Simon is looking for his drug-addict daughter, who has been missing for some time. Bribing a few of the street dwellers, he's told that his daughter plays guitar on certain days of the week on this spot. He recognizes her and begins chasing her. Finally, he reaches her, grabbing hold, causing many passersby to take notice. From the outside, he could be a pervert harasser. Suddenly a dirty drug addict steps between them. It turns out to be the older boyfriend who got her on the stuff in the first place. Out of rage and years of suppressed anger, Simon lashes out and punches the young man. Several people in the vicinity tackle Simon to the ground, punching and kicking him. Paige, his run-away daughter, gets away, and he's arrested. As it is the 21^st century, the entire scene was filmed, and the video went viral. "Rich man assaults the homeless." Simon needs a lawyer.

The story is about Simon Greene searching for his daughter. Indeed, a simple premise enough, but where the story goes is a labyrinth of well-sketched characters and a series of coincidences that leads our protagonist to the drug-addled portion of the big city, dealers and hired killers.

The climax of the story is quite dramatic.

But when you believe all the dots are connected, and the mystery is solved, a new twist is presented in the last six pages! Something the reader will never see coming.

Time is a precious commodity these days, but if you have a little time, Coben's Run Away should be well worth your time. 

Living in the Mandate Camps (Part 3 of 3)

 

A week passed without any opportunity to steal one of the guards' mobile phones. My target was the skinny guard with an oversized uniform. (Ichabod Crane in 3D). After returning from the coal mines every afternoon, the twerp could be seen smoking in the back of the administration building. My Irish friend, Sean, was an accomplished pick-pocket, so it was only a matter of distracting the little dude for Sean to swipe it. We needed another plan, for this one was just too risky. 

Over the week, more busloads of the unvaccinated arrived at the camp. I observed that most were immigrants and indigenous people and very few Caucasians. I talked with one gentleman who had come from Syria to Australia with his family in 2014. Since that time, he had been naturalized, including his entire family. Ahmed had been a medical doctor in Damascus. Over the years, he retrained at the University of Melbourne in medical school and received his license to practice medicine in Australia in 2018. When Covid 19 hit, he was not convinced that the vaccine was needed to stop the spread of the virus. Like many of us, he read the peer-reviewed studies to discover the vaccine did not prevent one from getting sick or giving it to others. Of course, the elderly were more vulnerable; thus, the vaccine made sense. Ahmed's family, including himself, were all relatively young and healthy. After the lockdowns, he was told that he would lose his medical practice if he didn't take the jab. Ahmed's daughters were also kicked out of school. Two months after his medical practice was shut down, the police crashed through his front door dressed in helmets and bulletproof vests. He and his entire family were thrown to the ground and handcuffed. After spending 6 months in a local detention center, they were shipped to the camps.

The government seemed to us to be targeting people of color. But, interestingly, Sean, the Irishman, and I were the only white boys in the facility.

This didn't seem right, but this entire situation was idiotic, where there felt like an unknown nefarious agenda behind the mandate camps. The science did not match the actions of the government. So what the hell are we really doing here?

One thing was clear: the government and their corporate overlords were getting free labor in the coal mines. So, yes, essentially, we're slaves.

One night Sean woke me out of deep sleep and showed me a phone he had stolen. Then, like a thief in the night, he sneaked into the guards' quarters and managed to obtain a phone.

"C'mon, mate. It will be sunrise soon, so we have to get out of here now!"

My bag was already packed. We headed to the north end of the wall. We got there without being seen. I gave Sean a boost, and he barely reached the top of the wall. He reached down and pulled me to the top without too much effort. We shimmied under the bob wire and fell to the ground running.

A few minutes later, a siren could be heard behind us. We were in an open space in the desert. There was no place to hide. We just continued to run. Looking back, two jeeps were barrelling towards us with clouds of sand billowing behind them. Suddenly through a loudspeaker:

"Stop, or we'll shoot!"

I remember laughing at the idea of the guards shooting us because we were not criminals.

I heard a shot ring out. Sean fell face down into the sand. Because the sun was appearing, I saw blood flowing and spreading on his back from the gunshot wound.

"Sean, Sean!" I knelt beside him, feeling for any pulse in his neck. My friend was dead.

I was put in a hot box in the ground for three days with little water as punishment for attempting to escape.

Ironically, only a month later, a contingent of the Australian army rolled into the camps. We were told that the vaccine, although adequate for the elderly and vulnerable from getting really sick, the world had come to understand that we now must live with the disease. The vaccine made no difference for the majority of the population. And without so much of an apology from the government, we were set free in our respective cities.

What were the world's governments thinking, ignoring the science and pushing untested vaccines upon the population? Adding insult to injury, sending us to "mandate camps" because we were deemed the "unwashed" like lepers in the 14^th century. It was an emotional affair when I was united with my family for the first time. Though jabbed twice with a booster, I learned that my wife's brother died of Covid 19 due to complications from a previously undiagnosed condition. This was very sad.

This experience has broken my spirit. It's currently mandatory to have Digital Identification on our phones. All our financial transactions, including our working wages, are done through this app. If we want to go on holiday, we have to go through the app. We buy our groceries and clothes through the app. All healthcare must go through our digital ID. So the authorities know where we are on the planet at any given time. Our independence is gone.

I don't care anymore. My spirit is broken. I never want to go through this shit again.

Most of all, I miss my friend.

Dostoevsky – The Idiot - Review

 

It should be known to most students and readers of Dostoevsky that he suffered most of his adult life from a severe condition of epilepsy. The seizures from this disease can vary in intensity from mild to the point where it is so intense that the individual's heart will simply stop from the violent convulsions. Those afflicted with this condition have commented that safeness washes over them, and after an attack, a feeling of deep clarity pervades. A few individuals, including the great Russian writer, have claimed that they experienced something akin to a spiritual awakening, only lasting a few moments and sometimes a few hours. The protagonist in The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, also suffers from epilepsy and therefore has earned the cruel nickname of `Idiot' from his circle of friends and acquaintances.

The novel centers on this man and the profound effects he has on those he comes in contact. The Idiot is a nineteenth-century thriller, an exposé of the Russian aristocracy, intense, unrequited love, and spiritual redemption. A semi-autobiographical piece that is one of Dostoevsky's better novels.

Prince Myshkin's simpleton demeanor, his almost child-like view of the world - naive, terribly honest, and soft good looks - projects to other characters in the novel as someone with saintly qualities, an almost Christ-like aura surrounds him that most perceive when they first meet the man. Having had epilepsy from birth, he has raised under very controlled circumstances to finally move into the world without society's prejudices and biases. The Prince lacks because of his innocence, the decorum of the then Russian aristocracy. However, he has a gift. The Prince has great intuitive insight into the souls of the people he meets. And because he lacks in social graces, he, more often than not, will blurt out what he feels with uncanny accuracy, embarrassing the people present. Although he has great insight, there is a dark side and a price he will eventually have to pay.

The female protagonist is a fascinating woman. Nastasya Filippovna has an incredible strength of will that she uses for her tacit manipulations of the numerous fawning, stumbling men that constantly grovel around her. This woman's mere presence and her stunning beauty all combine to make a very powerful woman. However, below this persona of strength is an extremely insecure little girl who only requires love.

Rogozhin is the novel's psychopath, a rogue, and a scoundrel of the first order. Everything that we could possibly mistrust in a person, Rogozhin personifies as he, without conscience, hurts and manipulates those around him with adept skill.

This is a beautiful novel as it communicates our spiritual concerns, though represents our darker natures in insightful ways. The Idiot is a dramatic tragedy, a satire on Russia's aristocracy, and a reflection on our dual natures, possessing the capacity for so much good but also capable of so much evil.

This novel is written with vividness, and extreme passion, as only this Russian master can give us.

Excellent.

Living in the Mandate Camps (Part 2)

It has been three days since arriving at the camp. First, we are packed into these trailers with a capacity of only 12 occupants. Then, over the last two days, 3 more busloads of the unwashed or the unvaccinated arrived, so our living conditions are much more cramped. There are now 20 people in our tin-molded trailer, and on some nights, it's impossible to breathe.

On the first day, when the indigenous woman was dragged in the back of a trailer and presumably beaten, never to be seen again, most of us are obliged to follow orders.

Our routine is tedious: we rise to the sound of clanging pots and maneuvered single file to the mess hall. It should go without saying, but the food is less than desirable. On Fridays, however, is fried sausage day with fresh beetroot. On all mornings, an oatmeal-type concoction is served that isn't fit for a farm animal. I can't eat it and go through the day on an empty stomach. After breakfast, we are sent to the coal mines.

The usual Covid 19 rules like social distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding crowds change by the day. Like the outside world, the press and the government played the virus by ear, changing the rules, locking down and unlocking, pushing the vaccines, then telling us to register on our cell phones to get a Covid Pass. Before I was sent to the camps, everyone in Australia was bound to write into a digital identity program. Anyone with any sense of civil rights understands this program to be a direct violation on so many levels. Personally, I never got this far and wonder how my family is going and whether they're on this draconian digital system.

How the world has changed.

I was initially correct in believing the camp was somewhere in the deserts of the Northern Territory. From the base, we are a 30-minute bus journey from the coal mines.

Coal mining is dangerous work. We are not paid for this work and are basically slave labor. After each day, I lay in my hammock and cough all night. Most nights, I have to go outside so as not to bother my fellow unwashed. Then the day begins again – eating slop, working underground, and back to the trailer.

I met an Irish gentleman in Australia on a work visa only to be whisked away to this camp. In a broad Irish accent, he told his story.

"I arrived in Australia and was immediately quarantined in a shitty hotel in Sydney. After a week, we were released into the wild, and by the time I arrived in Melbourne, I felt sick and tested positive for Covid. By sheer luck and the fact I'm a young man, the symptoms were mild, and within a week, the virus was gone. I knew that by getting the virus, my body had developed antibodies and was protected. My work visa was for one year. But they wouldn't let me work until I received the vaccine. Of course, I was insistent that the chances of getting it again and spreading it was doubtful because I already had the virus. This was no argument as far as the authorities were concerned: "Get the jab, or we'll send you back to Ireland." I said fine that I'd rather go home than put up with this shite. They put me on a bus which I thought was going to the airport, and I ended up here."

Sean the Irishman and I became fast friends and partners in the coal mines, watching each other's backs. We discussed on most evenings why an untested vaccine took precedent over natural antibodies. Our conclusions were the same. There's an overall money element to this whole vaccine mandate rubbish, and 80% of the population has fallen for it.

On the 6^th week, Sean and I developed a plan to escape the camp. Somehow we need to steal the cell phones of two guards, using their Digital Identities to move freely through society once we run.

Obtaining two cell phones from the guards would not be easy. Finally, after a long day in the coal mines, we showed up at the mess hall and sat down, and Sean, with a cheeky grin, revealed he had a working cell phone. 

Now it was my turn.