Hegelian Series Intro: Part 1

The Jews will not Replace us... In August of 2017, that's what white supremacists chanted as they marched through Charlottesville VA. Were the democratic norms that I always took for granted crumbling? I thought so, and I wanted to do something to stop that. Over the next few days, I began writing an essay that I hoped would rekindle the "American spirit" and bring people together.  The introduction to this essay is posted below. The rest of the essay will be posted in parts over the next several days. 

Despite not fully understanding Hegelian philosophy, I relied heavily on his  ideas in writing this essay. As I explained in previous posts, I am a Master Fool with creative licences in all fifty states. Thus, I can legally do that. 

                       UNTITLED ESSAY (as written in 2017): INTRODUCTION

Trump’s rise to power has left me aghast and wondering what I did wrong as an American citizen. This paper represents my efforts to do more as a citizen. These are divisive, rageful times, so one’s proffered ideas can just as easily provoke rancor as spark fruitful debate. Consequently, I have chosen to express my main ideas in allegorical form. My intent in doing this was to give the reader some initial distance to the subject matter before gently pulling them closer.

I intended this paper to be a small step forward towards healing the divide in this country. My strategy was to create a unifying framework that reconciles the clashing perspectives of various American factions on the role that “our founding fathers” played in American history. Toward that end, I found the sublation principle in Hegel’s dialectic to be a fantastic tool. Hegel’s dialectic states that every idea is existentially intertwined with an opposing idea. In other words, an idea cannot even exist without its opposing idea. In Hegel’s dialectic, opposing ideas undergo a paradox of change and permanence. They become permanent, because they become fixed within the web-work of the absolute. At the same time, they change because of their new connections with other ideas.

On a personal level, my goal is to connect this unifying framework with my own cultural heritage. By doing so, I hope to develop a strong sense of self that is sublated with the reality of “the other.” I hope that through this Hegelian process, I will become a counselor who can connect with all of his clients.

The reader should note that this paper refers to our current president (summer of 2017) as N (short for narcissist). This reflects the following opinions of mine: First, his name shouldn’t be associated with any kind of leadership position, because he has no leadership qualities. Second, the rest of the alphabet has better things to be doing.

Entropis Introduces Himself

I am Entropis Demon of Dung

Master of smoke that burns in your lung

Lord of all that is dead and decaying 

Bringer of wrinkles and hair that is graying

My name whispers from wishers of change,

From those who are bored or completely deranged

I send them tornadoes, earthquakes and fire

I reduce their existence to rubble and mire

Whenever lives have reached their worst,

When there is oppression and animals cure, 

My power is what these desperate desire,

To fight the system against which they conspire.

I help them all on one condition

New order built from their volition

If they cannot endure this pain, 

Upon their soul, I make my claim.

Professor Whimsy Cures America: Part Three: The Treetise Part Two

Not only am I a professor of Whimsy, I am also a master fool. This is evident by the fact that when I first  wrote this, I believed that CNN would report on it.  Obviously, they never picked up on it, because this material is too sophisticated for them. That is evident by all the letters after my Name: Dr Noah Clawson Ph.d., MD, RunDMC. 

Anyways...

Below is the final portion of Professor Whimsy Cures America: Part three: The Treetise Part Two.

Instead of Northeasterners focusing on regulations that restrict the coal companies, we need to focus on creating more economic options for folks in the Rust Belt. All Americans would benefit from taking a step back and looking at the big picture. At this moment in history, the economics of energy is undergoing a major shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. Accordingly, we should take this opportunity to facilitate this shift. We should do this in a way that benefits all Americans and unifies the Rust Belt with coastal economies. An obvious idea is to help the Rust Belt transition to a renewable energy economy, but that is much easier said than done.

While the price of solar cells and wind turbines has come down, in many cases, they are still prohibitively expensive. The emphasis on overcoming the barrier to high cost has been to improve the technology of those devices, so they can generate electricity with greater efficiency. While that approach is valid, there is a complementary approach that deserves equal attention: We can recycle the materials used to build solar cells and wind turbines. Recycling can bring down the price of renewable energy in a way that it can’t for fossil fuels.

When we extract fossil fuel from the earth, we ultimately will combust it. This combustion might heat a house in the winter, move a vehicle, or generate electricity. Whatever the case may be, the combustion process forever destroys the fossil fuel. This is not the case with the metals and metalloids we mine to construct solar panels, wind turbines and innumerable other electronic devices. In particular, solar panels and wind turbines utilize large quantities of copper, aluminum, glass and silicon. We can recycle all of those materials with far less energy than what it would take to mine and refine them.

If Americans believed that recycling certain materials helped their country, I’m convinced they would do it en masse. The challenge here is figuring out the specifics of how we can do that to unify the country. How can we grow networks of corporate interests to direct those materials into the Rust Belt? How can we then encourage the solar and wind industry companies to move into the Rust Belt to receive those materials? The best known strategy for influencing corporate behavior is for us to use our consumer power as leverage. I believe we can double our leverage on corporations by organizing our recycling efforts and becoming both corporate consumers and suppliers.

Here is an illustrative example of what such “double leverage” would look like: Suppose I am able to organize a few million people to implement the ideas in this letter. Suppose further that we educated ourselves as to what products contain materials that have value for the alternative energy sector. We learn that two such products are electronic devices and batteries.

Our first major step would be to organize as consumers. We would make a collective decision to only buy batteries and electronic devices from the companies that do the best job building the recycling infrastructure of their products. Naturally, this would give these companies a big incentive to invest in the recycling infrastructure for their products, so they could win us over as customers.

Our second major step would be to organize as suppliers. We would make a collective decision to supply the recycling company that is the closet fit to our ideal. Then, we could work in a collaborative, carrot-and-stick fashion to mold that company into our ideal.

Realistically, we would be lucky if to start we could find a company in the Rust Belt that recycles the right material. We would be even luckier if that same company sold some of its products to other companies in the Rust Belt. If we could form an alliance with such a company, we would be giving them an incentive to stay in the rust belt and continue to sell their output to other Rust Belt companies. Furthermore, we would be creating an incentive for other recycling companies to come to the Rust Belt. These other companies would know that if they formed an alliance with the renewable energy industry, we would be likely to do business with them.

If my hypothetical “Recycling for Renewables” organization actually existed, they would be in luck. BATTERY SOLUTIONS ** in Howell Michigan recycles both batteries and E-scrap. I recently spoke to one of their representatives. He informed me that they sell most of their recovered materials to industries in Ohio. 

In addition, BATTERY SOLUTIONS recently teamed up with Call2recycle – a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the logistics of recycling cell phones and batteries. Anyone can use Call2recycle’s website to find a free drop off location for batteries and cellphones. This means that anyone can become a provider for BATTERY SOLUTIONS simply by recycling their cellphones and batteries in the Call2recycle network. The down side with Call2recycle is that they don’t take all E-scraps; they only take cellphones and batteries.

For large corporations that would like to recycle all their E-scraps, a better option might be to work directly with Battery Solutions. In this option, Battery Solutions will customize a recycling program to the particular E-scrap disposal needs of the corporation with which they have partnered.

I believe that this option would be ideal for an international news organization such as CNN for a number of reasons. First, I’m sure that CNN burns through electronic devices at a far greater rate than the general public. Recycling those electronics would be an excellent way for CNN to demonstrate some stewardship and earn some positive PR. In addition, forming an alliance with Battery Solutions would provide CNN a convenient way to segue into news stories that would give their viewers hope. 

For instance, CNN could report that many of the elements in electronics are sourced from unstable regions – regions that exploit children to do the mining. They could explain how recycling electronics helps the United States avoid the sort of international entanglement that leads to military action. They could use the opportunity to report on how we depend on China for rare earth elements and how recycling could help us lessen that dependence. They could talk about how much landfill space they are saving and the toxic waste they are keeping out of the earth. Most importantly, they could report on how their alliance with Battery Solutions is helping to heal our country from RBCF.

Batteries and E-scraps are not the only products we could recycle for renewables. There are others, but I would have to do more research to learn all of them. The point is that this idea gives us possibilities and positive directions that we can take. Even better, it gives us an opportunity to be solution-focused and not talk about Trump. Conservatives and Liberals can work together without sacrificing their values, because this idea combines stimulating the economy with helping the environment.

** Since this initial writing, the company Battery Solutions was acquired by Retriev. Retriev recently changed its name to Cirba Solutions.

Professor Whimsy Cures America: Part Two: The Treetise Part One

As I promised yesterday, here is Part One of my Treetise. I pray that the Department Of Permanent Records does not learn of this! 

To whomever first reads this Treetise,

I’m just an ordinary citizen who would like to communicate his ideas to Mr. Van Jones. Could you please forward him this treetise?

To Mr. Van Jones, I give you all the credit in the world for your Herculean effort to unify this country. You are the only commentator I can think of who I believe is totally genuine and heartfelt. I can’t thank you enough for the sacrifices you have made for our country. You have inspired me to get off the couch, and do what I can to help heal the divide in this country and support green energy.

My idea is that we should unify the country by focusing on recycling the materials that are essential to build wind turbines and solar energy. I believe that we should funnel these raw materials to the Rust Belt, where they can be used to grow a renewable energy industry and create jobs. I describe exactly how we can accomplish this goal in tomorrow's post Professor Whimsy Cures America: Part Three: The Treetise Part Two.

If you choose to read Treetise Part One, I only ask that you extend me some creative latitude. After all, I am a bonafide Doctor of Whimsy and hold creative licenses in all 50 states. In addition, I have extensive experience working with metaphorical illnesses and am an expert in the American Immune System (AIS). My unique training and credentials make me eminently qualified to offer an accurate diagnosis and treatment of our country’s illness.

Before I offer my assessment, I need to clear up a common misconception of the AIS. Many believe that the term merely designates the physiology of our government institutions. That is simply not accurate. The AIS is the sum total of all systems and mechanisms that the American body employs to neutralize pathogens. As such, it subsumes governmental immunology within a much larger web work of immune responses. It is crucial we understand this, because our government has fallen into a dire level of dysfunction. This particular circumstance has influenced my diagnoses and caused me to formulate a path to recovery that circumvents governmental channels.

My diagnosis is that our nation is suffering from the auto-immune disease RBCF (Rust Belt Coastal Fever). 

My recommendation for treatment is that Americans embark on a non-political, grassroots effort to massively increase their battery and electronics recycling rates. While that may seem unrelated to our nation’s current illness, the connection will become evident after I provide more context.

Let me start by explaining a little bit about the operations of the AIS. When a pathogen (serious problem) infects the American body, our population develops a fever (experiences anxiety). This fever mobilizes the AIS to produce an antibody (a solution).

If the American body has encountered that pathogen before, it will likely have effective antibodies at hand. On the other hand, if the AIS has never encountered that pathogen before, it will not have an effective antibody available with which to neutralize it. In that case, the cells within the AIS initiates a vigorous dichotomous response (divided response) to the pathogen. The dichotomy than undergoes a ramification process (debating the issue) that churns out antibodies in an infinite variety. Eventually, the ramification process will generate an antibody that effectively neutralizes the pathogen.

Should the American body experience that Pathogen in the future, it will quickly reproduce the effective antibody and refine it further into one that is even more effective. With repeated exposure to the same pathogen, the healthy American body will quickly develop immunity to that pathogen.

In RBCF, the pathogen subverts the AIS at the dichotomous response step. Instead of the AIS forming two groups of cells that attempt to neutralize the pathogen in a dichotomous manner, the two sides attempt to neutralize each other. In other words, each side sees the other as the pathogen that it needs to neutralize. At that point, the AIS is at great risk of self-destructing in auto-immunity fashion.

To illuminate this danger more concretely, I’d like to move away from the academic language of metaphorical illnesses and speak about RBCF on a more personal level. After the 2016 presidential election, I was horrified that Trump had won. To me, he was clearly a narcissistic demagogue. I felt that the only way people could vote for such a person was if they were racist and uneducated. The idea that such people had gained political power left me feeling threatened and anxious. In essence, my narrative was “I am not safe unless Trump supporters are powerless. I must neutralize Trump supporters” If I imagine myself as a Trump supporter, I know that being the target of such a narrative would have left me feeling threatened and anxious. My natural reaction would be to protect myself with a counter-narrative: “I am not safe unless Hillary supporters are powerless. I need to neutralize Hillary supporters.”

If we are to avoid that type of auto immunity tailspin, we need to understand the basic pathogenesis of RBCF. In a nutshell, RBCF subverts the AIS by exacerbating these three behaviors: APATHY, DENIAL and COMPARTMENTALIZATION. 

Below are the components of RBF with the correlate behavior they illicit.

1) COMPLEXITY / APATHY 

Both the causes of the problem and its possible solutions are complex. Most people will grow tired of struggling to understand the problem and working towards its solution. The end result is that folks become apathetic and their minds drifts towards problems that at least offer the pleasure of righteous indignation. As evidenced by the high number of Americans that respond indignantly to Trump’s tweets, such a pleasure is highly addictive. In my capacity as a scholar of whimsy, I recommend that Americans exercise great caution while reading Trump’s tweets.

2) GRADUAL DETERIORATION / DENIAL

Slow deterioration facilitates the psychological defense of denial, especially when the deterioration takes place over several decades. Who among us will labor to see the bigger picture if doing so would increase their anxiety? Only people suffering from a serious psychiatric disorder would engage in such masochism. The rest of us rationalize away what we don’t want to conclude. Most commonly, we convince ourselves that slow deterioration is no deterioration.

3) CLUSTERED HARM / COMPARTMENTALIZATION 

A problem severely impacts certain regions of the country, but not others. Those unaffected by the problem are often hundreds of miles away from the folks who are suffering. Such a dynamic facilitates the psychological defense of compartmentalization – “out of sight, out of mind.” If compartmentalization continues long enough, the affected and unaffected regions will develop completely different narratives. At some point, the compartmentalization will become untenable, and the two sides will have to reckon with each other. If their narratives have diverged to a large enough degree, each side will feel invalidated and threatened by the other. The two sides will begin to perceive each other as a pathogen, and the American body will develop RBCF.

The degree of virulence at which RBCF manifests corresponds to the degree of difference at which distinct regions suffer the effects of a problem. If two distinct regions experience suffering of a similar degree and nature, they are unlikely to attack each other. On the other hand, if the degree and nature of suffering between the two regions is highly divergent, they are likely to form narratives that are at odds with each other. In such a case, there is a high probability of mutual hostility. Given this dynamic, the best way to treat RBCF is to focus one’s energy on resolving the clustered harm/compartmentalization component as much as possible. 

Towards that end, I have listed below the concrete factors that led to the especially virulent strain of RBCF that currently afflicts us:

1) Increase in automation

2) Steel Industry moves from the United States to China.

3) The general migration of factories to Mexico.

4) Natural gas outcompeting coal as a cheaper and cleaner alternative for electricity generation

Clearly, all four of these events have characteristics of complexity, gradual deterioration and clustered harm. However, the quality of clustered harm and diverging experience is most prominent in event four (the decline of coal). For instance, the rise of cheap natural gas has devastated the Rust Belt, but has benefited the Northeast. Case in point: The steel smelters that once operated in Indiana and Ohio were at one time all coal-fired. These smelters were designed with extremely high chimneys, so the noxious soot from the coal ash wouldn’t pollute the immediate environment. Instead, the soot hitched a ride in the jet stream and drifted over the Appalachian Mountains. The sulfur from the coal then mixed with moisture in the air and fell upon the Northeast in the form of acid rain. When those coal smelters switched to natural gas, the Northeast no longer suffered the effects of acid rain.

Northeasterners, such as this writer, have never experienced the horrific economic devastation that results from the closing of coal mines. Hence, we tend to overlook the economic devastation that these coal mining communities have suffered. Our experiences have conditioned us to think of coal not in economic terms, but of its negative impact on the environment. Thus, our focus is almost exclusively on regulating the coal industry. For those coal miners who have lost their jobs, it must seem like Northeasterners are constantly pushing a pillow down on their face. They must wonder why we continuously fret about what will happen to the environment at some distant time, but don’t care much about their current suffering.

Part two of this treetise titled Professor Whimsy Cures America: Part Tree: Treetise Part Two will be available tomorrow.

Professor Whimsy Cures America: Part One: Introduction

 

I am a renowned international expert on Whimsy. One can immediately discern that upon seeing all the letters that follow my name -- Dr. Noah Clawson, Ph.D, MD, Run-DMC. In my professional capacity,  I once wrote a treetise (not a treatise). Currently, absolutely nobody understands the differences between a treetise and a treatise. Well the differences are simple.

1) A treetise serves as an addendum to my novel Mandelbrot The Tree, while a treatise does not. 

2) Treetise's utilize whimsy to communicate a point whereas treatises don't.

3) Treetise is a playful term that I coined two minutes prior to writing this sentence. By contrast, the term Treatise is stodgy, was not coined by me and first appeared in the 14th century.

A few years back, I sent a treetise to Anthony Van Jones -- a frequent CNN commentator. To my great shock, Mr. Van Jones never responded back. I know now that he didn't respond, because the DOPR (Department of Permanent Records) blocked him from responding.

 The DOPR has dogged me ever since I was in the 8th grade. At that time, the principal of my school told me, "Noah, if you don't improve your behavior, it will go on your Permanent record" Unfortunately, I didn't improve my behavior, and my principal informed the DOPR. If I had only known the consequences of my bad behavior then, I would have been a much better boy. To this day, the DOPR lurks in the background and does all the little shadowy things necessary to complicate my life. Yesterday, they broke into my apartment and stole my socks. 

Tomorrow, I intend to publish the first part of the above mentioned treetise on this blog. I pray that the DOPR does not find out about it and run interference. 

Of Paddle Ball, Corporations and Fox News

Bap bap bap! When I watch the news, my mind becomes a paddle ball smacking at a ball on a string.  I can't stop ruminating on the injustice of the day. One might think that watching the news would increase my understanding of the world, and I would feel more confident about affecting positive change. Initially, the news does improve my mood, but such gains are ephemeral. In the long run, I end up feeling increasingly bewildered and anxious. Why is that?

Like most people, I seek out news that helps reaffirm my sense that there is much injustice. These news outlets then do just that -- reaffirm my sense that there is much injustice. Then, bap bap bap, my mind is off and ruminating. Clearly, this is dysfunctional. I should engage with both sides of an issue. Right? I should watch news outlets that fully argue perspectives that are the opposite of mine. Right? Its just that simple Right? Well... Its not so simple. Let me explain why. 

For me, the best example of the "other side" would be Fox news.  The problem is that Fox does not represent "the other side" in good faith. The most recent and glaring example of this is Tucker Carlson. Recently, he aired footage of people behaving peacefully in the Capital building. He then stated that this was proof that the Jan 6th insurrection was a lie. Obviously, he has seen the footage of MAGA supporters smashing their way into the capital. He has also seen them injure the capital police and chant "hang Mike Pence." 

People such at Tucker Carlson throw a monkey wrench in the listen-to-both-sides philosophy, because they don't care about reason or evidence. Their goal is not to express what they truly believe. Instead, their goals are to create anger, fear and controversy, which they can then parlay into ratings and wealth. Tucker Carlson is just one person, but he embodies the spirit of our time -- a spirit that is moving away from democratic ideals towards a nihilistic emphasis on obtaining raw power. 

Over the last few decades, power has steadily flowed from the many (the middle class) to the few (the uberwealthy).  In particular, the uberwealthy have steadily increased their ability to direct money from corporations towards supporting most politicians. Naturally, this has left politicians beholden to corporations in order to retain their office and power. As a result, most members of congress advocate for laws that favor corporations and increase their profits. That might be fine, if everyone who worked and invested in the corporations benefited equally from these laws, but this is not the case. 

Primarily, it's the CEO's and other top officials who benefit from these laws. Secondarily, it's the stockholders -- most of whom don't work for the corporations. Lastly, it's the poor and middle class who actually do the work for the corporation. How many times in recent years have corporations laid of the masses to maintain value for the stockholders? How many times have CEO's damaged their companies stock but walked away from their position with a golden parachute? Advocating for "corporate rights" has become code for transferring wealth and power to the uberwealthy.

The tendency for corporations to undermine democracy is tragically under reported. This is unsurprising, because with few exceptions, it is corporations that control the news. This brings me back to Fox news and Tucker Carlson. Recent court filings in the Dominion's lawsuit against Fox revealed how Tucker really felt about the claims of election fraud. In his private text messages, he characterized the idea of voter fraud in the 2020 election as crazy. At the same time, he called for the firing of a Fox news reporter who publicly acknowledged there was no fraud. His concern was that her accurate reporting of the facts might harm Fox's stock. This makes me wonder if Tucker owns significant amount of stock in Fox. Perhaps that might be an interesting subject for another blog. 

I think I will end here and write more on this blog tomorrow -- wherever my mind takes me, For now the paddle ball inside my head is quiet.

The Metaphysics of Matter

   

 Hello all, 

The poem that I wrote last week is included in the body of the material for this week’s blog. I didn’t plan it this way, it’s just how the creative process developed. Anyways… The Metaphysics of Matter starts below. 

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Noah Clawson

 THE METAPHYSICS OF MATTER

                            

Mandelbrot suddenly fell into sullen silence and the glen dimmed into an ashy hue. With foreboding solemnity, he took a deep draw from his pipe and puffed out an opaque globule of smoke. In a span of time that seemed both instantaneous and infinite, Hectic bore witness to the globule expanding into an ever-diversifying universe of wisps. When the wisps had rarefied to such a degree that they became indistinguishable from the ashy hue of the glen, Mandelbrot resumed speaking. At that point, the entire event contained within Mandlebrot's pause in speech vanished from Hectic's mind. He experienced the moment as if Mandelbrot had been speaking continuously and the glen had never dimmed.

"All matter is in motion,” said Mandelbrot. "Therefore, all things affect the things around them." Organisms are things in motion that affect the things around them." 

"Okay," said Hectic, "but that doesn't tell me how life differs from non-life."

Mandelbrot puffed on his pipe and produced a plume of smoke. With his quivering leaves, he shaped the smoke into an opaque gray square. He pointed at the square with one of his branches.

      "Look upon the canvas of smoke and I will show you." he said. "The entire screen filled with the image of a few small speckled eggs clustered in a nest. "I have found," said Mandelbrot, "that life differs from non-life in this respect. All living things use their environment to produce more life forms like themselves. 

      As he was speaking a gray rat jumped into the nest. The rat stood on his hind legs and used his front claws to position the egg with the narrower end facing his mouth. The rat then bit into the end of the egg and began eating the yoke. "This rat will –” 

"I just thought of something," Hectic blurted. Fire must be alive. "Flames breathe the air and eat material from their environment to make more flames." Mandelbrot gasped, and stilled his leaves. His face then fell into a faraway expression as the canvas began to dissipate. Only when the last wisp had rarefied into nothingness, did Mandelbrot begin to speak.  

Life be not that yellow beast

So, Fear the fire's futile feast

He always eats and always starves

Mosaic meals reduced to chars

Thus simplified 

he shrinks and dies

Life ramifies  

then creatures thrive

So complications do exist 

When and where life persists.

      Mandelbrot quivered his leaves and shaped another plume of smoke into a square. Again, he directed Hectic to focus on the canvas of smoke., “Let us start where we left off,”. With a subtle shift of leafy motions, he reconstituted the scene of the rat eating the egg upon the canvas. Those forms only lasted for a few moments before they receded into the grayness of the canvas. Then, new images quickly clarified out of the gray and remained still – like a painting. The canvas depicted a landscape from a cloud’s perspective. Hectic could make out the patchwork of forests, fields and lakes. 

“The canvas shows the creature conflagration,” said Mandelbrot, “but at a scale far slower than you can perceive. I will increase the flow of time within the canvas by a thousandfold. Then, you will see the creature conflagration burning.. Mandelbrot adjusted the angle of his branches and increased the rate at which he was quivering various leaves. A tiny gray globule appeared in the center of the canvas. Every so slowly, the globule began to grow and ruffle around the edges, Soon, other gray globules began to appear. They spread across the canvas, expanded and merged into each other. 

“What is that growing grayness?” asked Hectic.

“That is what happens when just one rat eats like fire.