Saturday, 22 February 2025
World Cup 2026 - Toronto
Feb.22 2026. Here begins our tracking of Toronto’s 2926 World Cup, our assessment of how much better the 2026 will be for Toronto, Canada and the world. World soccer/football Governing body FIFA wants 2026 to be the best ever World Cup. Let us see…
Friday, 21 February 2025
X etc. and ANOMIE
With amoral social media based plutocrats as U.S. leaders new technology has “trumped” law as the new centre of societal power. We are in a moment of global Anomie ["a lack of social or political standards in an individual or group"]. Millions more can be reached by social technology than by traditional communications and each page view generates more wealth for negligible expense. There are currently no conditions and wealth enables reach. The message of social media. as currently operated by footloose entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, is ethical and political autonomy. Such techno-leaders openly scorn established powers for their weakness, only derivatively for their values. We are in an age of anomie in the centres of power. Resistance is necessary, the means are multiple and the time is now.
Thursday, 13 February 2025
Democracy v. Autocracy
There’s something about vast wealth that tends to make the rich think they deserve it, however empty their minds and sterile their thoughts. Elon Musk is the latest example of what author Anne Applebaum in a 2024 book calls Autocracy Inc. TorontotheBetter calls on all to work together to stop the autocracy forces and make the June 2025 World Cup advent in Toronto our best before date for autocracy derailment. Let’s get to work on 2025 campaigns right now. There are elections soon…
Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Court jester as President
There is nothing funny about Donald trump, the 45th president of the United States. He is a rude ignorant bully cipher with power over weapons that can harm millions. But so inept and unthinking is he that many voters including former U.S. army general H.R. Mcmaster treat him as entertainment, a relief from the “far too serious” business of everyday life, where people fight, and get maimed or die. In medieval times this was the role played by the court jester for their monarchs. The unique problem with Donald J. Trump is he is the monarch AND a court jester at the same time. It is this that allows many people to vote for hum while knowing he is a goof and a lightweight who, apart from the money is just like them.
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Beware know-nothing presidents
That the workers of the U.S.A. are now led by a rich know-nothing marketer was explained by Thomas Frank in a 2004 book called "What's the Matter with Kansas: how conservatives won the heart of America?" Simply put, it's about class, and the moment in the 1970’s when former champions of the U.S. working class deserted their base and were supplanted as their models by Ronald Reagan in the U.S. and Margaret Thatcher in England. Sounds familiar again in 2025? Way back then, instead of unions, and opposition to imperialist adventures in foreign lands like Vietnam led by hypocritical leaders with libidinous habits they rebounded to 'family values" Christianity and mom and pop gun culture consolations. Twenty years after Frank analysed this class desertion by liberal leaders rich amoral phonies lead America by attacking the wealthy elites they claim not be part of. They have grown from the charades of social media, not traditional manufacturing or even the cult of business administration. They talk Christ, when it suits them, but they walk corporate wrote Frank.
Twenty years later this class betrayal has led to its predictably resent-fueled outcome - the election of a culturally excluded, social media created, outsider with a desire to spite the traditional educated elite, forever his enemies.
Social media are the message
Why the working and other classes of America are now led by a rich know-nothing marketer was effectively explained by Thomas Frank in a 2004 book called "What's the Matter with Kansas?" Simplty put, it's about class, and the former champons of the U.S. working class deserted their base. Instead of unions, and opposition to imperialist adventures in foreign lands like Vietnam, led by hypocritical leaders with contradictorily libidinous habits many nostalgically rebounded to 'family values" christianity and mom and pop gun culture cconsolations. Twenty years after Frank had analysed this class desertion by liberal leaders, rich amoral phonies lead America by attacking the wealthy welites they claim not be part of. They grew on the charades of social media, not traditional manufacturing or even the business administration cult. This class betrayal has led to its predictaably resent fueled outcome.
Twenty years later still than Fraank's analysis this class betrayal has led to its predictaably resent fueled outcome the elction of a culrurally excluded social media created outsder with an impulsion to insult the traditional educated elites forever his enemies.Marchall Mcluhan's famous 1964 phrase in his book "Understanding Media" needs a slight update in our age of social media, but the core message holds: the power weilded bythe now richest owners in the world, is based on electronic media and the endless array of advertising sponsored visits they can compel.
Sunday, 2 February 2025
On nationalism, Donald who?, insecurity and Canada’s talkative neighbour
In a globally connected world nationalism loses. Germany lost two wars and millions were killed in proving the point. The latest venture into nationalist waters by a China-edgy American politician must fail too. Let’s hope more deaths are not needed to prove it.
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