by William Skink

How did it develop, the terrorist lobe of the liberal mind? Are their ghosts of colonialism haunting its grey matter?

Terrorists are fanatics, often animated by some form of religious ideology. The liberal mind is supposed to trend toward secularism, rationalism, enlightenment.

The notion itself–that some metaphorical part of its thinking hardware is capable of justifying acts of terrorism–seems antithetical to the core values the liberal mind claims to be invested in, and dedicated to maintaining for the entirety of human beings across the globe (whether they want it or not).

The title of this post came to me as I was driving to work.

The previous day I had read an article from one of the few people trying to raise the alarm over the potential impact of near-biblical flooding still decimating crops across the Midwest.

With the suffering so far localized to the regions that helped put Trump into office, how easy would it be for traumatized liberals still seething over the failure of Russiagate to depose the alleged Manchurian resident of the White House to see the suffering of farmers as divine retribution for the orange menace they enabled? Especially considering a significant part of their pain can be directly linked to Trump’s trade wars?

Normally this kind of victim-blaming derives from religious zealotry, like when some evangelical Christians blamed Hurricane Harvey on gay people:

A number of Christian leaders have blamed LGBT people for causing Hurricane Harvey.

Despite overwhelming evidence that supports climate change as a factor in the devastating storm and subsequent flooding, a handful of evangelical leaders have ludicrously suggested the LGBT community are to blame.

Minister Kevin Swanson, who holds notoriously homophobic views, said Houston had sinned by having a “very, very aggressively pro-homosexual mayor.”

“Jesus sends the message home, unless Americans repent, unless Houston repents, unless New Orleans repents, they will all likewise perish,” he told his radio show. “That is the message that the Lord Jesus Christ is sending home right now to America.”

Obviously the liberal mind wouldn’t use the western Judeo-Christian tradition to make absurd claims that Jesus is using cataclysmic weather to punish farmers for voting for Trump, but the eastern concept of karma could be a handy concept to deploy, like Pete Talbot did recently when it was reported Ravalli County Commissioners were upset that the Trapper Creek Job Center could be privatized:

Karma’s a bitch

According to the Missoula Current, the three Republican Ravalli County Commissioners are upset over plans to privatize the Trapper Creek Job Center. They’re concerned that jobs could be lost or the center might close if a corporate owner doesn’t turn a profit.

Well, guys, you get what you vote for. Consider that in 2016 Ravalli County went for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by 66-28 percent, and for Ryan Zinke over Denise Juneau 65-31 percent, and in 2014 opted for Steve Daines over Amanda Curtis 65-33 percent. I’m guessing the commissioners voted with the majority of Bitterrooters.

The idea being expressed here is Ravalli County is getting what it deserves (karma) because of how the Commissioners voted. That doesn’t sound much different to me than saying Houston got what it deserved for its tolerance of the LGBTQ community or even Americans got what they deserved on 9/11 because of American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Is this the terrorist lobe of the liberal mind at work?

One key function of the terrorist lobe is compartmentalization. Most Americans have this ability. Without it, cognitive dissonance would tear apart the myths and lies this country was built on.

On the eve of America’s bombastic birthday another flashpoint to shift our economic war against Iran into a kinetic one passed without the hoped for reaction .

I don’t think many people understand how close we are to things unraveling. One scenario of escalating tensions is Iran flexes its ability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Pepe Escobar offers some idea of what could happen were that to occur:

The facts are stark. Tehran simply won’t accept all-out economic war lying down – prevented to export the oil that protects its economic survival. The Strait of Hormuz question has been officially addressed. Now it’s time for the derivatives.

Presenting detailed derivatives analysis plus military analysis to global media would force the media pack, mostly Western, to go to Warren Buffett to see if it is true. And it is true. Soleimani, according to this scenario, should say as much and recommend that the media go talk to Warren Buffett.

The extent of a possible derivatives crisis is an uber-taboo theme for the Washington consensus institutions. According to one of my American banking sources, the most accurate figure – $1.2 quadrillion – comes from a Swiss banker, off the record. He should know; the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) – the central bank of central banks – is in Basle.

The key point is it doesn’t matter how the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.

It could be a false flag. Or it could be because the Iranian government feels it’s going to be attacked and then sinks a cargo ship or two. What matters is the final result; any blocking of the energy flow will lead the price of oil to reach $200 a barrel, $500 or even, according to some Goldman Sachs projections, $1,000.

Does the compartmentalized terrorist lobe compute the risk of war with Iran?

And what shall it do over dead migrants?

I’m not talking about deaths at the southern border. Of course I saw the picture and it broke my heart, I’m not immune to what’s happening. But the migrants I’m talking about were killed in Libya, a once functional state reduced to civil war and open-air human slave markets thanks to Secretary of State at the time Hillary Clinton and Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama.

If you want to read about that tragedy, here’s a link to the Bezos Post.

The nefarious slayer of American Democracy, Dracula Putin, recently opined in The Financial Times that the liberal order is obsolete.

That’s easy enough for the liberal mind to immediately reject. Not as easy would be if the Dalai Lama said something crazy like European migrants should return to their own land:

The Dalai Lama says in a new interview that while Europe should take in migrants and refugees entering the continent, most who enter should ultimately “return to their own land” while “a limited number” can stay.

Asked in a wide-spanning interview with the BBC about increasing numbers of migrants seeking refuge in Europe, the 83-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader said countries on the continent should offer them an education and training but said the aim is to send them back to their native lands.

“A limited number is OK, but whole Europe eventually become Muslim country? Impossible. Or African country? Also impossible,” he told the BBC in the interview published Thursday.

He also expressed his support to “keep Europe for Europeans.”

If you want to add heads exploding to your holiday festivities, mention this at your liberal potluck.

Happy Birthday Amerika!