Ideology of Power

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces a no-confidence vote today. The forex market once again slips into a short lull, coming off of anxiety over Italy's political crisis; but all signs suggest Rajoy nears the end of his reign, as the Basque Nationalist Party which holds the crucial five votes has said that it will support the motion tabled by the Socialist Party - which may propel Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez into office. It seems Rajoy had his chance to resign as PM, but an official from Rajoy's People's Party has insisted no such thing will happen. Difficulties for the EU (and by extension its common currency the Euro) looks to be extended and while the currency seems like it might be on the rebound, this episode might augur further weakness.

North Korea – South Korea relations have historically been fraught with tensions. This is unsurprising, given that both countries have been embroiled in a 68-year long conflict beginning with the Korean War in 1950. The Korean War has never been formally ended (no peace treaty has been signed), with the actual fighting ceasing only by virtue of an armistice signed on 27 July 1953. This agreement created the famous Demilitarised Zone at the 38 th parallel (separating North and South Korea), a symbol of the bygone Cold War and a reminder of a conflict frozen in time. It is at this border that North Korean soldiers occasionally stage their defections ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq3CXm9zCy0 ), periodically putting the Demilitarised Zone at the centre of international tensions.

Star Wars continues its line of SJW movies with the most recent Solo: A Star Wars Story, riding on a purported wave of success starting from The Force Awakens. All signs point however to the fact that this wave is flagging, as the novelty of a “rejuvenated” Star Wars franchise wears off and weary fans lament the lack of faithfulness to the source material. Hardly surprising, given rumours of Kathleen Kennedy’s pronouncements dismissing the support of male fans. While it is unclear just how true these rumours might be, the fact of the matter is that these rumours have gained traction and caused a fan backlash. The first Star Wars movie in 10 years – The Force Awakens – might have been buoyed by fan anticipation and nostalgia, but that repository of potential sales has been progressively sapped by consecutive movies ham-fistedly pushing the well-worn narrative of inclusiveness and diversity. As I have discussed in previous articles, this is reflective of insidious politically correct...

In this third part to the series of articles on political correctness, I discuss what may be done to reverse its tide and its accompanying symptoms. I understand that this might be wishful thinking, but the preliminary to action is planning. In any case, there is much to be said for excising political correctness from one’s life – anyone willing to take the first, personal, steps to become more frank and assertive, rather than wallow in a culture of self-pity and victimhood, will reap dividends in terms of social capital. What I mean with respect to the individual is simply: let others take care of themselves; you should be independent and a little selfish, even if it risks offending others. This culture of personal responsibility is no doubt antithetical to the dictates of communal values, but it is most consistent with progress and personal advancement.

In a previous article (see https://ideationstartshere.blogspot.sg/2018/03/purely-speculating-influence-of.html ), I discussed the possible connections between the pushing of politically correct agendas and certain events (the Florida and Maryland school shootings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s belated recognition of no-go zone areas and the wave of #metoo harassment accusations). In this follow-up, I will scope out more broadly why political correctness is detrimental on balance – ie, when one weighs up the potential and actual pros and cons, the stark conclusion is that political correctness enfeebles the minds of the population and bring out their destructive tendencies.

The brash 45 th president of the United States has been given many unflattering names in the time since he announced his running for the Presidency; but the fact of the matter is that Trump is president, which begs the question – what can one learn from him? If the reader feels that this very question is ridiculous, I venture to say that he is not alone. This reaction would be, however, a manifestation of pride, which proclaims that there is “nothing to learn”; open your eyes to the fact of Trump’s achievements and the importance with which the world holds his words (whether positively or negatively, it matters not – it is the degree of impact which matters).

This is by no means a comprehensive study; rather, it is an appeal to common sense, the common sense to avoid the rubbish which clutters up so much of the Internet. It is in the Internet where opinions metastasize without end, where false information is passed on with a speed and ferocity overwhelming the nuanced truth. Never has it been more important to exercise one’s own judgment – by “exercise of judgment” I mean the process of balancing considerations and rationalising decisions, with an eye to making considered, sensible conclusions. I emphasise this because it is all too easy to fall in with the opinions of others, determined perhaps by one’s predilections and no more. This way of making decisions is no better than those of the Islamic Fundamentalist zealots, the ones who ultimately end up as suicide bombers, nor is it better than the similarly extremist Crusaders who were fuelled by religious zealotry and expansionist ambitions. Unfortunately, this sort of mass thinking has...