Suck it up and get out of your Rabbit Hole

An open exchange on Facebook after announcing the I am leaving

This happened on Facebook. Since I will close my account there and I think this is worth keeping I am documenting it here. The background is that I had deleted all my FaceBook Contents a week earlier and announced that I am leaving because I don’t want to be an enabler of the tech billionaires. But then shit hit the fan in the US and I just had to post one post again.

The Post

For my friends who automatically respond with the Fox News induced automatisms „.. but the Laptop..“, „.. and her emails..“ and „.. but COVID..“ or „.. but the lizard people and the children eating cabal…“ I just hope that they get out of your rabbit hole before it is too late.

I am rooting for our friends in the US who did not vote red.”

27 of my Facebook friends out of exactly 1.176 responded with either thumbs up, crying, or bewildered icons.

Reactions

I then got reactions from two people whom I knew were actually in favor of the shit hitting the fan in the US because it is supposed to “drain the swamp”:

Ah ok. So for you their battle on the covid, the fascism law of lockdows, lies, unsafe vaccins, states roberies and corruption is not front of your eyes, corrupted Europe? What about Kenedy Jr?

Trump I think he’s the lesser of two evils. Democrats started/supported d 2 terrible wars of Ucraine&Gaza. and Syria (Obama, operation Timber Sycamore). I still think mainly Dems are ‘deep state’ although probably not exclusively.

For the state of my mind I decided to not respond. But then, after my Facebook friends sent their emoticons, a third one:

Martin, so much agreement – will all these friends leave FB too?

First I thought about ignoring it too. But it gave me a sleepless night. And the next morning one of my Facebook Friend with had responded to the first two messages with an Angrymoticon. A rant followed. I think I am not breaking any privacy rules by citing it here, after all it was done in the public space of Facebook:

Why getting angry about my post.
Without x and facebook there are many things would be hidden from mainstream media. 
After you don t have to believe in everything, eapecially about lizard hahhahaah.
Yes European commission is totally corrupted. Yes Pfizer is a criminal agency with fines over than 6 billions dollars but that no one care. 
Looks like Trump and Kenedy want to clean the country of the corruption. 
Why do you think now many minds are brainwash from medias? Cause many are freaking out cause they are not in control anymore. 
I am happy that Kenedy is there.
I am horrified by what happened with thise so called “vaccin”, lockdown, curfew, this is fascism, everything was against the human right. 
You cannot believe that mafia and mc kinsey are controlling governments by corruption?
Wooow. 
Okok…
Sorry but Europe like Biden Macron Vander leyen have to be investigated with independant justice, not from their friends like it is now in Europe

Yes, Woow. Don’t feed the Trolls. But then, followed by:

Talking about hand sign is a thing,
Talking about facts is another thing.
Here an exemple of fact that have happened all around the world. 
And yes in the USA bigPharma and his mafia get scared and that is great!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15hrS6fm8y

So I decided that I need to make my standpoint clear, especially since this was happening in the public space with all my other FB friends being the audience. I also felt this being an opportunity to tell people where I stand, whether they like it or cancel the FB friendship does not actually matter much.

My response

This got a lot longer than intended, but once I was writing….

“R., I will answer your question in detail, but not so the other ones, because I don’t want to waste my time on endless COVID grievances.

To start with, some who are commenting here make it appear that there is only an “either or” choice, black and white. Biden (who did not even run anymore) or T. implying that if I am against the destruction of democracy and against the Republican agenda (have you had a look at Project 2025?), and Muskolini and the Orange One strengthening the oligarchs, that I am then for Biden, a deep state, wars etc. Excuse me, but that is utter nonsense. I am against the wars. As I also was with the many wars the Republicans started? It was one of the few days on which I was proud of my country when our Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told the assembled nations “Sorry, I am not convinced” after Powells presentation about the bio weapon labs in Iraq. As you remember Germany and France did not join the war, France got punished by having their culinary pride renamed into Freedom fries. Germany chickened out and avoided punishment because unfortunately it allowed the use of the Ramstein airbase. So my short moment of national pride went down the drain quickly. 

I was also against the way COVID was handled and I hope that in the future it will be done better. Because of COVID Fashism at a local level, we actually broke with my employer and moved to a different house. Things get clarified now in the aftermath and that is good and part of the process. I also believe that there is what you call a deep state, companies and other people that influence world affairs in a way that is not in the interest for the people and humankind in general. You might name weapon manufacturers and companies making vaccines. I would add tech companies (social media and AI) and fossil fuel industries which both threaten humankind as a whole. 

But for me that is not the reason to abolish democracy, on the contrary, strengthening it to address the problems better would be a good idea, and I believe the only hope we have.

While I can understand the anger of people, a wrecking ball is not the solution. The world is too complex for that. You can continue polishing your grievances from the past, in democracies admittedly bad actors occur, but democracies have laws and institutions that can be used to counter steer and if necessary to elect people out, sue them and throw them in jail if needed (unless it is the FOTUS). 

But what is happening now in the US, and this is what my post is about, is almost an exact copy of the playbook of Hitler’s raise to power. And it follows exactly what is written in Project 2025. If this continues, which is what you seem to be hoping for, there will be no more possibility to elect anybody else, people will get to jail for what they say (nowadays I would be in Jail in China or to Siberia or poisoned or falling out of windows in Russia), or sued to bankruptcy by the oligarchs as it is happening already now (a comic book about Elon Musk about his life does not find a publisher except in France because all publishers are afraid to get sued).

Back then the US came to the rescue (not alone). Who will come to the rescue of the US?

Rather than talking about laptops, email, COVID, wars and all the things that went wrong in the past, I would like to hear something about what the benefit for the future is of for example:

• Getting rid of people who provide checks and balances so that the billionaires can do what they want. The latest was that Musk will decide himself whether there is an interest conflict if one of his companies gets funding,,, Hello???? Institutionalized corruption?
• Appointing unelected people and kids to get into sensitive data that you yourself would not entrust anybody, or to make decisions on government funding to industries while being one of the biggest beneficiary
• Running a personal vendetta and firing everybody who is not loyal or said something critical, critique is a normal component of a democracy (first step in Hitlers raise to power)
• freeing criminals of a mob that tried to storm Capitol. (The foundation for the US equivalent of the SA and SS)
• Cutting climate change funding (from a previous post I know that you don’t don’t believe it is man made, 95-98 of the scientists and experts working on the topic don’t agree with you, including myself. It is very unlikely that 98% of the scientists are bought. For the other 2-5%- follow the money)
• Being racist and anti women
• Cancelling legislation that tries to provide more equal rights
• I could go on and on and on. What is the benefit to the democracy and to society of that? And to you?

I would suggest to turn off Fox News and the channels of their former hosts, mute QANON etc. for a while and come out of the rabbit hole and turn for a few minutes per day to people like Bernie Sanders, Robert Reich and some others from the other camp and red some independent newsletters not owned by billionaires like the Guardian. Substack (branded by Muskolini as woke) also has a lot of people who are documenting very well what is going on these days. Unlike some of the channels of the far right they are mentioning credible sources for what they are reporting for each topic that you can check on. Try for example the “Trump Tyranny Tracker” on Substack. Every day they report what is not making it to the mass media on that day. And it is terribly scary in terms of democracy. I am challenging you to read, a quarter of an hour every day for the next two months (approximately the time that it took Hitler to take over). You can always reject it if you conclude that it is lies.

From a personal experience, I just got informed that Muskolini has put all funding to USAid on hold. All development projects of USAid and USDA are stopped, including the international agricultural research projects. Some centers had to put projects on hold and are now paying the salaries of the staff from other projects. Which reduces also research activities in those other projects from other donors. One event I am invited to is affected badly. Food wise the world is just OK. One major global crop failure and we are all in big shit, more the poor people than the rich ones though. This is not much known by the general public, but worldwide food reserve stocks are very narrow. As an example: when we had the rice price crisis in 2008 that almost toppled some government, and there was actually not even a shortage. Agricultural research is an area that is underinvested. So this is very bad news. In my opinion everybody who supports the Republican agenda, will be also responsible for future food crises / famines.

If it continues as it goes now, no more elections in the US, or fake elections like in Russia or China or other autocracies. An oligarchy with most of the (tech) billionaires involved, and two guys from South Africa, Apartheid kids who want to have back Apartheid conditions and are even quite frank about it (why do you think EM closed USAid? They were supporting Anti Apartheid movements when he was young, a personal vendetta of a bully, drug addict and racist). Absolute power (like in Russia and China) in the hands of a few powerful with nothing you can do about it anymore. what will make it worse this time is that it will combine police state power with the surveillance power of the tech companies. Do you really want that? As somebody who had the experience in Czech Republic with the Prague Spring? And another topic calling home: Being treated as an immigrant nicely in Switzerland? I myself am a kid of immigrants, and I really value the help that is provided by the host countries. And do it myself. But make no mistake, I fully support illegal immigrants return if they commit major crimes. 

In my opinion we need to work on addressing the problems jointly and not let the 0,01% divide us. And not to drive out Lucifer with the Beelzebub, who most likely will be worse. 

Now to your question. I am a bit bewildered by your question. Does agreeing with somebody’s statement mean that person has do do the same things that person does? Seems to be a black and white view to me.

My friends from Facebook have a huge variety of backgrounds. Some are friends from my teenage days. Extended family. Motorcycle and Sailing people. And people from work. Ranging from farmers, extension workers, scientists and development workers (yes, a lot of scientists, I assume that that is already a no-go for many on the far right), politicians, people from the private sectors (companies that I worked with, others who just inquired info at some point and I than had a beer with). Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Atheists. One Roman Catholic who indicated I am a murderer because I am advocating for women who were raped being able to have an abortion. Many LGBT people as well. And at least one flat earther. All these have many different work and life experiences. Most have been exposed to many different professional environments, countries and private adventures. Everybody has his own sets of believes and opinions. And with many of them I “agree to disagree” on certain topics. But I value all their points of views as long as they are not violating human rights, discriminate, or try to dismantle democracy. 

Of course therefore everybody will make a different decision.

How can I know whether they will leave? And why should they because I made a statement? For what I can see from the responses I got when I announced that I would resign from the META platforms (those responses alone would already be material for a good social study :-)), it was basically the following:

1.) No way, I like what is happening. I hope JFK Jr. (my mistake, Kennedy Jr.) and the South African will clean up. (a few responses. and for the latter ones: Prepare to explain your grandchildren or children why they have Polio)

2.) I won’t leave, I don’t care what is happening on the platform (some)

3.) I am not happy with what is happening, but I don’t know how to connect with all my friends when I leave (most)

4.) I am not happy with what is happening, but I will stay to influence some people (a few)

4.) I want to leave, but my work requires me to stay on (many) (I might have stay on Facebook for a while for that reason)

5.) I want to leave, can you give me some advise where else to go? (a few)

6.) I am leaving because I don’t want to be an enabler for the fashists and dismantlers of democracy (myself, and a few, and yes, they are actually leaving)

So sorry, your question is too black and white for me. In line with the idea that there are easy solutions, and people should have simple answers.

So to sum up:

1.) People who are against Trump and Musk and the Project 2025 are not automatically for war, a “deep state” etc. etc. 

2.) Stop looking back, my dad used to say “suck it up” and start look ahead what need to be done to secure democracies. Learn from the past and do things better. 

3.) Let’s work together for solutions, not ask fashists and wannabe dictators to find them for us. That never works. 

—————————————————————————————————————-

My only comment on the other FB friend’s comment about the „unimportant hand sign“ and „facts“: Get your self educated about what the illegal immigrant from South Africa supports and stands for. Le Penn to start with your country, the extreme right AFD in Germany, which has subsections that are clearly Nazi, and rightwing groups in the UK – just a few examples. The other guy you cited as a source is a climate denier and has supported conspiracy theories before. For me as a scientist not a guy that represents „facts“.

————————————-

Just in case somebody does not know the definition of fashism:

“Fascism is a far-right, totalitarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. “

Sounds familiar? What is missing is that in both, Italy and Germany the industries submitted to and supported Fashism because they benefited from it. 

And what is scary is the new combination of fashist politicians with tech billionaires that have all our data and the means to make 1984 or the movie Brasil come true, and the financial power to sue everybody opposing into bankrupcy. 

Schöne neue Welt”

Responses

do you really think he makes that sign on purpose by thinking doing nazi sign?
Hope not. After yes, Musk makes me scared with AI and other things… 
Trump also… 
But really hope that corruption and covid lies will end and be shown and not divided people again.
I believe in polution, not in climate change
The problem with “scientism” is on a censure mode because of interest… debatting is not allowed.

Me: you obviously don‘t have a clue about the scientific process. Of course you can do question scientific findings and what is considered to be the current science based fact. You come up with a theory challenging the current facts and set up an a reproduceable experiment to proof the current theory wrong. If you are successful, and the peer review agrees, then your findings become the new science based facts. If not, it is just another theory. Science is not a debate. And should not be. You can, for example, not debate gravity. 
And yes. I am totally convinced that Musk is a fashist. And Trump too. That is not science, but there is a lot of evidence. That you can debate.

And what you call Corruption and Covid lies might end up but much bigger, far reaching and potential irreversible corruption has started and it is just the beginning. Read Project 2025 and observe all the executive orders that are being issued right now. Lots of them violating laws.

Fascism law, we had race: vax and non vax, with law, tv and web brain washing propaganda, police checking on health… yes. Fascism rules and corruption

Me: man, what sort if rambling of buzzwords. Did you play bullshit bingo watching Fox News?

no, ok the word is unapropriate, could have better used totalitarism..

Me: forget it. I still don‘t have a clue what you are talking about. Conversation finished.

i was talking about the word “fascism”… you “still” don t know… ah ok.

I felt bad about the “Conversation finished” point, but this would have gone on and on and on. The guy did not seem to even have bothered to read my post.

Don’t feed the trolls.

But there was also another one:

Martin, thanx for d EXTENDED answer  
 i shall ponder it, read up on project 2025 then take a short vacation to answer 

There is still hope. Let’s get together and discuss things over a beer.

The next day

Just came out. Basically echoing what I said

‘In a real sense, US democracy has died’: how Trump is emulating Hungary’s Orbán, The Guardian

Who is not concerned by this or supporting this is supporting autocracy.

I home somebody will read this

“My last post in this thread. I already spent too much time on this and I have to focus on some „work for a living“ now. 
To everybody who thinks Musk and Trump (we have not even talked about Thiel yet) is a good idea: 
Here are some readings I suggest. 15 min a day. If you respond by saying they are woke and therefore I don‘t read them you are deep down the rabbit hole already, and exactly where the MAGA wants you to be. Simmering in rage, stuck in the past and hating the supposed enemies, and not noticing the takeover. 

Day for day Trump Tyranny Tracker:

https://open.substack.com/…/trump-tyranny-tracker-day…

Robert Reich‘s FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/18dBYLbMX1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Bernie Sanders FB Page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EojaJDjd3/?mibextid=wwXIfr

AOC FB Page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/155AqATBdr/?mibextid=wwXIfr

There are many others. But start with those.