Here is Peter Zeihan’s latest assessment of the situation in China, and if he is correct in his assessment, it is hard to imagine a situation that could be any more dire, or any worse.*
As I wrote here several weeks ago–and this just in reference to the possible effects on Xi’s decision making of the knowledge of China’s demographic collapse–it may be that facing this demographic collapse, and while China still has the manpower and strength to do so, Xi might make some desperate and risky moves.
But, if Zeihan is correct about the totality of China’s collapse, Xi will have even more incentive to make desperate and risky moves, while he still has the wherewithal to do so.
Thank you CB for the link. I have never really understood the process until reading this article.
Fascinating. Thank you.
cb–
Very perceptive French Computer Scientist, inventor, and UFO researcher Jacques Valle has been studying the UFO phenomenon for 60 or so years, he’s traveled all over the world in pursuit of information about UFOs and various sightings and encounters, and he views this phenomenon as being very different from what most others in his field see it to be.
Vallee believes that the many “absurd” elements which are part of this phenomenon point to it being a deliberate attempt by some form of higher intelligence to create a “mythology,” which will, in some way, “condition and control us,” pushing us and our civilization in a particular direction, and way of thinking.
He also believes that this phenomenon has a psychic component.
Re: Jacques Vallee
Jacques Vallee is the One Must-Read Guy when it comes to the UFO phenomenon. “Passport to Magonia” is an early Vallee book, but quite worthwhile.
Vallee offers a more sensible, open-minded approach than getting sucked into the X-Files narrative — OMG aliens in super-advanced space vehicles are flying to earth, abducting humans for who knows what, but also crashing surprisingly often.
Vallee was a consultant on Spielberg’s epic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” film. In fact the French character, Lacombe, who supervised the UN UFO response in the film, was based on Vallee (and played by the French film director, François Truffaut). Vallee argued against Spielberg’s typical alien/flying saucer scenario to no avail.
Vallee was also a computer scientist and venture capitalist in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. I once worked several doors down from him. I got up my courage to go to his office and shake his hand.
An honor.
Snow on Pine,
I am open to a number of possibilities about ” UFOs” as I have previously indicated. I am skeptical about specific reports but open to the possibility that in the sum of the reports there is something going on. My mind is neither fully yes or no.
You seem to be venturing close to what SOME of the Christians believe, that UFOs / alien ” abductions” are actually demons in disguise and / or that they, or humans using ” UFOs” , will play some deceptive role in ” end times” in favor of world government. There was an interview I heard on Christian talk radio months ago where the guest being interviewed supposedly had done a lot of research into reports of ” alien abductions” and he claimed that there were a number of these reports by born again Christians claiming that they had avoided attempted abductions by rebuking the ” aliens ” in the name of Jesus, which he seemed to believe was evidence these were demons, not normal physical beings.
I do not know. I am not as certain as you seem to be about it all but I am a lot more open to various ideas about it than some of the regular commenters here.
That was an interesting video. I used to think that my wife traveled heavy, but a whole baggage ship is a different universe. I wonder how long the baggage train was on land? It must have stretched for miles and had armed guards to protect all those very valuable clothes.
So go down the deep science fiction UFO/Extraterresterial/Alien influence on humanity by way of the Alien movie franchise in the final works Promethius and Covenant on YouTube.
If you want more science fiction/theology.
Still science fiction.
But answer this, was “The Little Prince” an extraterrestrial alien being? Why not?
Fictions and science fictions.
But moving to other forms of science fiction, more lucrative and destructive; LinkedIn asks:
How do you stay current on climate change science and policy?
And then provides advice from the LinkedIn experts.
No thanks.
Thanks for the YouTube on the recovered clothing. Fantastic garments, redolent of a very different way of life. How did they remain (nearly) intact: deep cold water? Properties of the fabric itself?
What else is down there?
Lol , ” Snow on Pine ” and ” om ” are the two bookends, the two opposite parameters of thought here on the subject of UFOs.
Jon Baker–
RE: UFOs
My basic position regarding UFOs is this:
Something is being seen and measured “out there”–in our skies, coming into and out of our oceans, in Earth orbit, in space, and likely further out into our Solar System.
NASA is talking about needing scientific “data” on UFOs.
Well, our most advanced sensor systems have detected and measured performance “data” on the top 5 percent or so of UFOs, and scientists have done some calculations, which indicate that they are able to maneuver, accelerate, generate energy, and to perform in ways that our current levels of human technology have no way of even approaching, much less equaling.
They are, indeed, “light years” ahead of us.
Then, of course, there are the at least 80 year’s worth of hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of world-wide eye witness sightings of UFOs and, sometimes, close encounters with UFOs and their occupants by civilians, by law enforcement, by commercial pilots, and by our military; these “experiencers” can’t all be hoaxers, con men, crazy, or idiots.
For those willing to look, there truly is a mountain of evidence.
With regard to the 5 percent or so of UFOs which are truly “unexplained,” something is going on, and I think that we humans would be foolish, indeed, if we just pulled our security “blankies” over our heads, expecting that, if we just cover our eyes, whatever it is which is flying with impunity through the skies of Earth would just disappear.
In fact, it seems as if the frequency of UFO activities is increasing.
Expecting a government which has consistently lied, covered up, and deflected for 80 some years about the issue of UFOs—telling us that UFOs don’t exist, and that those who see them are crazy–to now honestly come forward and tell us the truth seems like a bridge too far.
Rather than saying, well, our version of Reality says these things can’t possibly exist, be real, so they don’t exist, I say lets have civilian scientists investigate these phenomena—their eyes wide open, with an open mind, and considering all possibilities, no matter how different or far afield from our current consensus Reality they might be.
As to what UFOs are and who or what might be behind them, I have no idea.
They simplest and most straightforward explanation is that they could be extraterrestrials, but just a few of the many suggestions which have been offered are that they could be the representatives of an ancient and formerly hidden parallel terrestrial evolutionary line, could be AIs, could be from another dimension, could be time travelers, could be entities which, in the past, have been seen as demons, could be a mix of several different sets of visitors from different species of Aliens—and us Grand Central station, or, could be something which we do not have the faintest hope of conceiving of, or of understanding, take your pick.
At this point in our apparent ignorance, who really knows?
I have been laying out and exploring here many of the theories people have offered to answer those questions, but, to actually answer those questions, we need unbiased, unafraid, all spectrum scientific investigation by as many highly qualified members of the world-wide scientific community as possible, whose results are openly shared with us all.
Always loved costumery. My grandmother was a furrier/seamstress and I lived with her for a few young years. She made the gown for one of Spain’s princesses in the ’50s. Huge train and the style was back 1300’s I think.
I made two rich man costumes when I was performing (functioning ego), 1530 Tudor-ish and a bastardization of 13th century Malmuk. Both silk, very nice to wear.
P.S.–Unfortunately, the government’s UFO ridicule and disinformation campaign has been so successful that–with a few notable exceptions*–few today in the academic and scientific community are willing to put their reputations and careers in jeopardy by investigating the UFO phenomenon.
*There may be more, but the only current day high profile exceptions I know of are Computer Scientist, inventor, investor, and UFO researcher Jacques Vallee, Professor of Religious Studies, Dr. Diana Pasulka, and Stanford Professor of Pathology and inventor, Dr. Garry Nolan.
The stigma against the subject of UFOs, against serious UFO research and UFO researchers created and encouraged by the government runs deep–with tinfoil hats in great supply, but I hope that more and more researchers in the scientific and academic communities will start to realize that the phenomenon of UFOs will turn out to be a subject of immense and far-reaching significance, a research challenge which they should approach with a very determined and penetrating interest.
Snow on Pine:
Current scientists can’t honestly discuss climate change and the binary nature of sexuality.
Today we see much more clearly the frightened, shameful groupthink of those entrusted with the scientific mission.
Even in better days, scientists, but for a very very few, lacked the courage to take on UFOs as a phenomenon worthy of investigation.
Snow on Pine:
It appears there is no money for UFO research, other than listening to deep space radio emissions. IIRC pulsar stars were a big disappointment to the community.
Maybe you all can talk Bill Gates or Elon Musk into spending billions on the Most Important Question Facing Humanity!.
Your community has some competition; the Climate Change Grifters have seized the rice bowl; you need a much more persuasive con.
They will fight you bitterly and to the last dime of everyone else’s resources. It’s an existential battle, you both demand infinite resources to answer your obsession.
My take from reading the blog comments is that Snow On Pine is a materialist, i.e. believing in only what is scientifically documented, whereas Jon Baker is a Christian, and thus believing in the supernatural.
These worldviews are incompatible.
Jordan Rivers—I think that I am with Jacques Vallee on this, and that the UFO phenomenon also has a major psychic component.
But, I don’t think that you can get many scientists to look at the UFO phenomenon by initially telling them that this problem requires them to operate with a much wider net than just the scientific method, and that they need to think way, way outside of our current consensus box, and also need to examine the UFO phenomenon from psychological, religious, and philosophical perspectives.
Take a look, for instance, at the attitude displayed by Astrophysicist Dr. David Spergel, who is the head of NASA’s 16 person UFO Study Panel, and others on the Panel, at their recent press briefing.*
I believe that anyone researching this phenomenon needs to approach this phenomenon with some degree of humility, and to be open to almost anything.
I didn’t see that attitude here.
P.S. RE: my comment above at 10:47, other scientists who are openly researching UFOs also include Physicist Dr. Kevin Knuth at the SUNY at Albany, and the other members of the “Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies.”
Snow on Pine says science is too small for UFOs, so why does he bother citing math, physics, etc.; just ask a shaman for “proofs.”
Unfalsifiable Figments Observed
The scientists who work on Ufalsifiable Figments Obsessions must leave science and embrace psychic ‘evidence or inquiry.’
Do they have to bend spoons too?
Jordan Rivers, Jon Baker, and Huxley–For me, the most disturbing and haunting evaluation of the UFO phenomenon is the one delivered by Lou Elizondo who, from the evidence, has seen a lot more classified evidence, pictures, videos, and information about UFOs than most other people.*
Meh. There have been so many grifters, weirdos, attention seekers and, I believe, disinformation agents involved in UFOs that I Trust No One.
We are not one exposé away from the whole story blowing wide open. I don’t claim to have the answers, but whatever or whatevers UFOs are about it’s not a simple story.
Frankly I suspect we are not supposed to be able to figure out UFOs.
@ Snow on Pine
• Thank you for sharing the Zeihan link.
A) Have been waiting to see if you would elaborate on: “… Xi will have even more incentive to make desperate and risky moves, while he still has the wherewithal to do so.”. My assumption is you mean kinetic military action.
• Have also been waiting to see if others would more military knowledge would join in.
B) 100% agree with Zeihan’ and your observations.
• Still believe in my 8/28 observations: “… a “committed” Communist country will not react in the same way as Western nations. And China will not need to react in the same way as Western nations due to the control they have over their citizens – see the Social Credit Score monitoring system they have implemented – they can pinpoint the When, Where, What AND Who – in real time.”
“The Ruling Class will just ride it out – China has been mostly poor before – however long that takes, and still enjoy a life most of their citizens do not enjoy today. However, that does mean it is ‘just a China’ economic problem- and that is what worries me and my friends.” (i.e., kinetic military action).
C) Also wrote this 8/28: “… China is a bad actor throughout that region – see India NE ?Maoist insurgency activity (pretty sure most folks think that far NE India is part of Myanmar, Bangladesh, or Bhutan, when they look at a map, and the folks in those states look more “Asian” than “Indian” which also confuses Westerners).”
• And right on cue – China published a map claiming the NE India territory I wrote about: India-China Tensions Flair as Beijing Releases Map Claiming Indian Territories
• Find myself agreeing with analysis that China’ military may not be up to the task – despite its size, etc. – but recognize that I am out of my depth when it comes to military topics. Why I was hoping those with that background/ expertise would weigh in.
• For example, find the following persuasive but have no way of framing a challenge/ preparing push back to what is being presented – which is how I learn and sharpen my thoughts/ opinions/ etc.
that guy: My opinion – Some might find cause for pause when they compare China’s military exploits to our ‘forever wars’. Considering they’ve infiltrated the Taiwan ‘established order’ as well as they had Hong Kong’s an outright ‘military invasion’ seems unnecessary. Another reason for them to avoid kinetic action is their Three Gorges Dam would probably be an initial retaliatory target.
For me the interesting thing about Zeihan’s latest China video — I’ve been watching him for a while — is that he has ratcheted up his pessimism on China. He is no longer expressing doubt China will make it to 2030. He sees it coming down even faster.
Not in the next year or two, but quickly. His reasoning is that Covid concealed China’s increasing disarray and we now know it’s worse than we thought.
Furthermore, the US is “reshoring” industries from China to the US at a furious rate, further squeezing the Chinese economy.
Making things worse still, Xi has systematically eliminated anyone in all of China who might become a political rival. Which means Xi is the sole authority for Everything in China and everyone else is a Yes-Man.
No single human can handle China.
that guy–
I have no profound insights, just looking at historical patterns of typical actions.
A few key points.
During the last decade or so XI has reportedly managed to eliminate all potential rivals at every local, provincial, and national level (and also recently had his tame legislators eliminate the limitations on him being dictator for life), Xi is removing from the board, demoting, or moving officials around like chess pieces, and China has recently stopped publishing key statistical series which would show it’s disastrous demographic and economic declines.
As more and more foreign companies close up shop and leave China to relocate elsewhere–a major blow to China’s economy–there is also reportedly a new campaign to regard all foreigners with suspicion, as “spies.”
I’m assuming that, given this deteriorating situation, people are afraid to give the current “Emperor” any bad news, and that XI is now surrounded by “yes men.”
Thus, I wonder just how much awareness XI actually has of how potentially catastrophic a situation China is now in and, moreover, the realization that things will only get worse.
I’m assuming that XI does have some level of knowledge and, if he does, that he will try to use whatever assets China now has before they degrade, in a desperate gamble to achieve his ambition to recreate China’s status as the preeminent world power–a modern day “Middle Kingdom”–or perhaps, more realistically, just to insure that a future, much diminished China survives as a nation able to have some influence on world events.
Thus–and in view of the historic weakness and incompetence of the Biden Administration and it’s penetration by the Chinese–I was thinking that Xi might roll the dice–while he still has the assets, the dice to roll–and try to take over Taiwan.
This move also the time honored way of diverting his people’s attention away from internal issues–how things are just going to Hell, falling apart–and, instead, outward.
@ Snow On Pine, Huxley, CB
• Thank you for sharing your thoughts – good stuff.
• While I still believe a Communist nation with an Eastern mindset will not necessarily react the same way as Western nations – XI is still human.
• Meaning the need to make his mark on China’ history – China’ very ancient history – is as strong for him as any other ruler.
• If he does not conquer Taiwan, can he truly make his mark (see world power, Middle Kingdom)?
• Can he conquer Taiwan without kinetic military action (see infiltration, etc.)?
• Is it better to project theoretical power than to use the power (see Iraq & Russia militaries)?
• I’ll add that I am not convinced that the “time honored way of diverting his people’s attention away from internal issues” is part of his decision making (see my initial comments) – but do wonder if XI’ control (see eliminated rivals) and the limitations of humans (see 70 years old) will impact the timeline perspective (see his lifetime v. “China’ lifetime”).
• Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Leave a Reply
HTML tags allowed in your
comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>
That was great.
RE: China
Here is Peter Zeihan’s latest assessment of the situation in China, and if he is correct in his assessment, it is hard to imagine a situation that could be any more dire, or any worse.*
As I wrote here several weeks ago–and this just in reference to the possible effects on Xi’s decision making of the knowledge of China’s demographic collapse–it may be that facing this demographic collapse, and while China still has the manpower and strength to do so, Xi might make some desperate and risky moves.
But, if Zeihan is correct about the totality of China’s collapse, Xi will have even more incentive to make desperate and risky moves, while he still has the wherewithal to do so.
* SEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqA5NODRnQI
Nice background music in the video. It seems familiar to me, though I doubt I could name it. Handel Water Music?
Silk … https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/silk-production-in-the-seventeenth-century.htm
As a newcomer to ‘Ms Neo’s World’ I apologize if this has been previously posted:
Re UFO: Passport to Magonia (pdf)
https://tinyurl.com/35ewerwb
Thank you CB for the link. I have never really understood the process until reading this article.
Fascinating. Thank you.
cb–
Very perceptive French Computer Scientist, inventor, and UFO researcher Jacques Valle has been studying the UFO phenomenon for 60 or so years, he’s traveled all over the world in pursuit of information about UFOs and various sightings and encounters, and he views this phenomenon as being very different from what most others in his field see it to be.
Vallee believes that the many “absurd” elements which are part of this phenomenon point to it being a deliberate attempt by some form of higher intelligence to create a “mythology,” which will, in some way, “condition and control us,” pushing us and our civilization in a particular direction, and way of thinking.
He also believes that this phenomenon has a psychic component.
Re: Jacques Vallee
Jacques Vallee is the One Must-Read Guy when it comes to the UFO phenomenon. “Passport to Magonia” is an early Vallee book, but quite worthwhile.
Vallee offers a more sensible, open-minded approach than getting sucked into the X-Files narrative — OMG aliens in super-advanced space vehicles are flying to earth, abducting humans for who knows what, but also crashing surprisingly often.
Vallee was a consultant on Spielberg’s epic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” film. In fact the French character, Lacombe, who supervised the UN UFO response in the film, was based on Vallee (and played by the French film director, François Truffaut). Vallee argued against Spielberg’s typical alien/flying saucer scenario to no avail.
Vallee was also a computer scientist and venture capitalist in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. I once worked several doors down from him. I got up my courage to go to his office and shake his hand.
An honor.
Snow on Pine,
I am open to a number of possibilities about ” UFOs” as I have previously indicated. I am skeptical about specific reports but open to the possibility that in the sum of the reports there is something going on. My mind is neither fully yes or no.
You seem to be venturing close to what SOME of the Christians believe, that UFOs / alien ” abductions” are actually demons in disguise and / or that they, or humans using ” UFOs” , will play some deceptive role in ” end times” in favor of world government. There was an interview I heard on Christian talk radio months ago where the guest being interviewed supposedly had done a lot of research into reports of ” alien abductions” and he claimed that there were a number of these reports by born again Christians claiming that they had avoided attempted abductions by rebuking the ” aliens ” in the name of Jesus, which he seemed to believe was evidence these were demons, not normal physical beings.
I do not know. I am not as certain as you seem to be about it all but I am a lot more open to various ideas about it than some of the regular commenters here.
That was an interesting video. I used to think that my wife traveled heavy, but a whole baggage ship is a different universe. I wonder how long the baggage train was on land? It must have stretched for miles and had armed guards to protect all those very valuable clothes.
Snow on Pine,
I haven’t listened to this, but I think this is a link to that interview I heard part of a few month back about aliens . I know this is the talk show host, Janet Parshall, that had the guest. I think it is the second link down on the page.
https://www.moodyradio.org/programs/in-the-market-with-janet-parshall/2023/05/5.31.2023——is-the-story-of-jesus-just-a-repeated-pagan-myth-ufos-and-aliens/
Science fiction still sells.
So go down the deep science fiction UFO/Extraterresterial/Alien influence on humanity by way of the Alien movie franchise in the final works Promethius and Covenant on YouTube.
If you want more science fiction/theology.
Still science fiction.
But answer this, was “The Little Prince” an extraterrestrial alien being? Why not?
Fictions and science fictions.
But moving to other forms of science fiction, more lucrative and destructive; LinkedIn asks:
How do you stay current on climate change science and policy?
And then provides advice from the LinkedIn experts.
No thanks.
Thanks for the YouTube on the recovered clothing. Fantastic garments, redolent of a very different way of life. How did they remain (nearly) intact: deep cold water? Properties of the fabric itself?
What else is down there?
Lol , ” Snow on Pine ” and ” om ” are the two bookends, the two opposite parameters of thought here on the subject of UFOs.
Jon Baker–
RE: UFOs
My basic position regarding UFOs is this:
Something is being seen and measured “out there”–in our skies, coming into and out of our oceans, in Earth orbit, in space, and likely further out into our Solar System.
NASA is talking about needing scientific “data” on UFOs.
Well, our most advanced sensor systems have detected and measured performance “data” on the top 5 percent or so of UFOs, and scientists have done some calculations, which indicate that they are able to maneuver, accelerate, generate energy, and to perform in ways that our current levels of human technology have no way of even approaching, much less equaling.
They are, indeed, “light years” ahead of us.
Then, of course, there are the at least 80 year’s worth of hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of world-wide eye witness sightings of UFOs and, sometimes, close encounters with UFOs and their occupants by civilians, by law enforcement, by commercial pilots, and by our military; these “experiencers” can’t all be hoaxers, con men, crazy, or idiots.
For those willing to look, there truly is a mountain of evidence.
With regard to the 5 percent or so of UFOs which are truly “unexplained,” something is going on, and I think that we humans would be foolish, indeed, if we just pulled our security “blankies” over our heads, expecting that, if we just cover our eyes, whatever it is which is flying with impunity through the skies of Earth would just disappear.
In fact, it seems as if the frequency of UFO activities is increasing.
Expecting a government which has consistently lied, covered up, and deflected for 80 some years about the issue of UFOs—telling us that UFOs don’t exist, and that those who see them are crazy–to now honestly come forward and tell us the truth seems like a bridge too far.
Rather than saying, well, our version of Reality says these things can’t possibly exist, be real, so they don’t exist, I say lets have civilian scientists investigate these phenomena—their eyes wide open, with an open mind, and considering all possibilities, no matter how different or far afield from our current consensus Reality they might be.
As to what UFOs are and who or what might be behind them, I have no idea.
They simplest and most straightforward explanation is that they could be extraterrestrials, but just a few of the many suggestions which have been offered are that they could be the representatives of an ancient and formerly hidden parallel terrestrial evolutionary line, could be AIs, could be from another dimension, could be time travelers, could be entities which, in the past, have been seen as demons, could be a mix of several different sets of visitors from different species of Aliens—and us Grand Central station, or, could be something which we do not have the faintest hope of conceiving of, or of understanding, take your pick.
At this point in our apparent ignorance, who really knows?
I have been laying out and exploring here many of the theories people have offered to answer those questions, but, to actually answer those questions, we need unbiased, unafraid, all spectrum scientific investigation by as many highly qualified members of the world-wide scientific community as possible, whose results are openly shared with us all.
Always loved costumery. My grandmother was a furrier/seamstress and I lived with her for a few young years. She made the gown for one of Spain’s princesses in the ’50s. Huge train and the style was back 1300’s I think.
I made two rich man costumes when I was performing (functioning ego), 1530 Tudor-ish and a bastardization of 13th century Malmuk. Both silk, very nice to wear.
P.S.–Unfortunately, the government’s UFO ridicule and disinformation campaign has been so successful that–with a few notable exceptions*–few today in the academic and scientific community are willing to put their reputations and careers in jeopardy by investigating the UFO phenomenon.
*There may be more, but the only current day high profile exceptions I know of are Computer Scientist, inventor, investor, and UFO researcher Jacques Vallee, Professor of Religious Studies, Dr. Diana Pasulka, and Stanford Professor of Pathology and inventor, Dr. Garry Nolan.
The stigma against the subject of UFOs, against serious UFO research and UFO researchers created and encouraged by the government runs deep–with tinfoil hats in great supply, but I hope that more and more researchers in the scientific and academic communities will start to realize that the phenomenon of UFOs will turn out to be a subject of immense and far-reaching significance, a research challenge which they should approach with a very determined and penetrating interest.
Snow on Pine:
Current scientists can’t honestly discuss climate change and the binary nature of sexuality.
Today we see much more clearly the frightened, shameful groupthink of those entrusted with the scientific mission.
Even in better days, scientists, but for a very very few, lacked the courage to take on UFOs as a phenomenon worthy of investigation.
Snow on Pine:
It appears there is no money for UFO research, other than listening to deep space radio emissions. IIRC pulsar stars were a big disappointment to the community.
Maybe you all can talk Bill Gates or Elon Musk into spending billions on the Most Important Question Facing Humanity!.
Your community has some competition; the Climate Change Grifters have seized the rice bowl; you need a much more persuasive con.
They will fight you bitterly and to the last dime of everyone else’s resources. It’s an existential battle, you both demand infinite resources to answer your obsession.
My take from reading the blog comments is that Snow On Pine is a materialist, i.e. believing in only what is scientifically documented, whereas Jon Baker is a Christian, and thus believing in the supernatural.
These worldviews are incompatible.
Jordan Rivers—I think that I am with Jacques Vallee on this, and that the UFO phenomenon also has a major psychic component.
But, I don’t think that you can get many scientists to look at the UFO phenomenon by initially telling them that this problem requires them to operate with a much wider net than just the scientific method, and that they need to think way, way outside of our current consensus box, and also need to examine the UFO phenomenon from psychological, religious, and philosophical perspectives.
Take a look, for instance, at the attitude displayed by Astrophysicist Dr. David Spergel, who is the head of NASA’s 16 person UFO Study Panel, and others on the Panel, at their recent press briefing.*
I believe that anyone researching this phenomenon needs to approach this phenomenon with some degree of humility, and to be open to almost anything.
I didn’t see that attitude here.
P.S. RE: my comment above at 10:47, other scientists who are openly researching UFOs also include Physicist Dr. Kevin Knuth at the SUNY at Albany, and the other members of the “Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies.”
* See https://www.youtube.com/watch
Snow on Pine says science is too small for UFOs, so why does he bother citing math, physics, etc.; just ask a shaman for “proofs.”
Unfalsifiable Figments Observed
The scientists who work on Ufalsifiable Figments Obsessions must leave science and embrace psychic ‘evidence or inquiry.’
Do they have to bend spoons too?
Jordan Rivers, Jon Baker, and Huxley–For me, the most disturbing and haunting evaluation of the UFO phenomenon is the one delivered by Lou Elizondo who, from the evidence, has seen a lot more classified evidence, pictures, videos, and information about UFOs than most other people.*
* See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYY1Mw8TVtg&t=8s
Re: Elizondo
Snow on Pine:
Meh. There have been so many grifters, weirdos, attention seekers and, I believe, disinformation agents involved in UFOs that I Trust No One.
We are not one exposé away from the whole story blowing wide open. I don’t claim to have the answers, but whatever or whatevers UFOs are about it’s not a simple story.
Frankly I suspect we are not supposed to be able to figure out UFOs.
@ Snow on Pine
• Thank you for sharing the Zeihan link.
A) Have been waiting to see if you would elaborate on: “… Xi will have even more incentive to make desperate and risky moves, while he still has the wherewithal to do so.”. My assumption is you mean kinetic military action.
• Have also been waiting to see if others would more military knowledge would join in.
B) 100% agree with Zeihan’ and your observations.
• Still believe in my 8/28 observations: “… a “committed” Communist country will not react in the same way as Western nations. And China will not need to react in the same way as Western nations due to the control they have over their citizens – see the Social Credit Score monitoring system they have implemented – they can pinpoint the When, Where, What AND Who – in real time.”
“The Ruling Class will just ride it out – China has been mostly poor before – however long that takes, and still enjoy a life most of their citizens do not enjoy today. However, that does mean it is ‘just a China’ economic problem- and that is what worries me and my friends.” (i.e., kinetic military action).
C) Also wrote this 8/28: “… China is a bad actor throughout that region – see India NE ?Maoist insurgency activity (pretty sure most folks think that far NE India is part of Myanmar, Bangladesh, or Bhutan, when they look at a map, and the folks in those states look more “Asian” than “Indian” which also confuses Westerners).”
• And right on cue – China published a map claiming the NE India territory I wrote about: India-China Tensions Flair as Beijing Releases Map Claiming Indian Territories
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/09/india-china-tensions-flair-as-beijing-releases-map-claiming-indian-territories/
D) Then I noticed this headline yesterday: Here’s how China would invade Taiwan, according to the Pentagon
https://nypost.com/2023/09/19/how-china-would-invade-taiwan-according-to-the-pentagon/
• Find myself agreeing with analysis that China’ military may not be up to the task – despite its size, etc. – but recognize that I am out of my depth when it comes to military topics. Why I was hoping those with that background/ expertise would weigh in.
• For example, find the following persuasive but have no way of framing a challenge/ preparing push back to what is being presented – which is how I learn and sharpen my thoughts/ opinions/ etc.
https://warontherocks.com/2021/10/schrodingers-military-challenges-for-the-chinas-military-modernization-ambitions/
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR893.html
https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/chinas-military-has-a-hidden-weakness/
Again, thanks for sharing.
that guy: My opinion – Some might find cause for pause when they compare China’s military exploits to our ‘forever wars’. Considering they’ve infiltrated the Taiwan ‘established order’ as well as they had Hong Kong’s an outright ‘military invasion’ seems unnecessary. Another reason for them to avoid kinetic action is their Three Gorges Dam would probably be an initial retaliatory target.
For me the interesting thing about Zeihan’s latest China video — I’ve been watching him for a while — is that he has ratcheted up his pessimism on China. He is no longer expressing doubt China will make it to 2030. He sees it coming down even faster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqA5NODRnQI
Not in the next year or two, but quickly. His reasoning is that Covid concealed China’s increasing disarray and we now know it’s worse than we thought.
Furthermore, the US is “reshoring” industries from China to the US at a furious rate, further squeezing the Chinese economy.
Making things worse still, Xi has systematically eliminated anyone in all of China who might become a political rival. Which means Xi is the sole authority for Everything in China and everyone else is a Yes-Man.
No single human can handle China.
that guy–
I have no profound insights, just looking at historical patterns of typical actions.
A few key points.
During the last decade or so XI has reportedly managed to eliminate all potential rivals at every local, provincial, and national level (and also recently had his tame legislators eliminate the limitations on him being dictator for life), Xi is removing from the board, demoting, or moving officials around like chess pieces, and China has recently stopped publishing key statistical series which would show it’s disastrous demographic and economic declines.
As more and more foreign companies close up shop and leave China to relocate elsewhere–a major blow to China’s economy–there is also reportedly a new campaign to regard all foreigners with suspicion, as “spies.”
I’m assuming that, given this deteriorating situation, people are afraid to give the current “Emperor” any bad news, and that XI is now surrounded by “yes men.”
Thus, I wonder just how much awareness XI actually has of how potentially catastrophic a situation China is now in and, moreover, the realization that things will only get worse.
I’m assuming that XI does have some level of knowledge and, if he does, that he will try to use whatever assets China now has before they degrade, in a desperate gamble to achieve his ambition to recreate China’s status as the preeminent world power–a modern day “Middle Kingdom”–or perhaps, more realistically, just to insure that a future, much diminished China survives as a nation able to have some influence on world events.
Thus–and in view of the historic weakness and incompetence of the Biden Administration and it’s penetration by the Chinese–I was thinking that Xi might roll the dice–while he still has the assets, the dice to roll–and try to take over Taiwan.
This move also the time honored way of diverting his people’s attention away from internal issues–how things are just going to Hell, falling apart–and, instead, outward.
@ Snow On Pine, Huxley, CB
• Thank you for sharing your thoughts – good stuff.
• While I still believe a Communist nation with an Eastern mindset will not necessarily react the same way as Western nations – XI is still human.
• Meaning the need to make his mark on China’ history – China’ very ancient history – is as strong for him as any other ruler.
• If he does not conquer Taiwan, can he truly make his mark (see world power, Middle Kingdom)?
• Can he conquer Taiwan without kinetic military action (see infiltration, etc.)?
• Is it better to project theoretical power than to use the power (see Iraq & Russia militaries)?
• I’ll add that I am not convinced that the “time honored way of diverting his people’s attention away from internal issues” is part of his decision making (see my initial comments) – but do wonder if XI’ control (see eliminated rivals) and the limitations of humans (see 70 years old) will impact the timeline perspective (see his lifetime v. “China’ lifetime”).
• Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts.