Confessions of a former fan

I really appreciate the seriousness with which even the most dubious skeptics are approaching Jordanetics, and the way in which they are honestly reassessing their previous assumptions and beliefs in light of the information it contains. This detailed review of the book explains the process of what goes through the mind of a Peterson fan when he first interprets what he hears Peterson saying versus when he subsequently encounters the verifiable reality of Peterson’s teachings much better than I ever could.
– Vox

Confessions of a former, Jordan Peterson fan…
December 4, 2018

I’ve been a fan of Jordan Peterson (JP) for a couple years. I’ve watched many hours of JP video, including: classroom lectures, blog posts, event speeches, interviews, Bible story analysis, etc. I loved JP for denouncing Marxism, Leftism, SJW’s and speech control as he adroitly argued against many of the standard leftist positions.

On our family road trips, I would force the family to listen to JP lectures or speeches, then proceed to tell them what JP was saying.

As a Christian and Bible student, I understood that JP’s position on the Bible was flawed and that he was not a Christian himself, however, he was speaking against so many of the positions I was against that he inspired me to hope that he could stem the tide of those beliefs. I put some of my “faith” in JP…that was a mistake.

It is a strange experience to look back in time and see something I thought was so good, profound and impactful, that it moved me to tears, but now, realize JP did not really say anything I thought he said. I listened to the words he said, but I am the one that filled in the meaning…JP did not mean what I thought he meant.

As I was telling my family what he “meant”, I was really telling them what I wanted him to mean. JP was my “reason”, or excuse, for pontificating on various subjects and JP became a source of validation for my positions. I could state with confidence that my position was “right” and then point to JP and say, “See, he’s saying the same thing…”, thus making me feel good about this professor because he “backed me up”.

Later, as I noticed inconsistencies, or position changes, with JP, I wrote them off as mistakes, or taken out of context, or simply ignored them. I was not willing to accept that I put my faith in someone who would actually be antithetical to my beliefs; that was something I was unwilling to consider.

About this time I learned about some of Vox Day’s posts regarding JP’s positions. Some of Vox’s statements about JP were quite harsh. I thought, “Vox is not being fair to JP. JP is on “our side”, so cut the guy some slack.” However, one thing Vox said was the “key” that allowed me to reexamine my faith in JP. Vox said something like, “JP is repackaging Gnosticism and is not really saying what people think he’s saying. JP is literally evil.”

As a Christian, familiar with the problems of Gnosticism, I had to acknowledge that if Vox’s point was true, it would be detectable if I reexamined JP’s positions. My problem at that point was a pride, or ego issue. I did not want to admit that I could have been mislead, or duped, into following someone who was teaching something I knew to be evil. How could I possibly be fooled? I’m too smart to fall for that sort of thing, right? Not me.

So, I accepted some of Vox’s challenges. One was to simply “read” what JP was saying, instead of “listening” to it. Wow, what a difference! Reading JP’s words, I found they were devoid of the meanings I had been assigning to them. What he meant by good, evil, God, truth, etc. was not what I knew these words to mean.

When JP said to always tell the truth, I plugged my definition of truth into his statement. When JP said this or that position was “evil”, I plugged my definition of evil into his statement. When JP talked about “consciousness” I “heard” my definition of consciousness, or “being” or whatever.

But after taking some time to go find how JP defined these words or ideas, and ignoring what I hoped he meant, I was shocked, to say the least.

One of my life axioms is, “Only the truth can withstand scrutiny.” Therefore, never be afraid to scrutinize something; if it is true, then it will survive the scrutiny. It was time to scrutinize JP more fully.

After my own findings were eroding my faith in JP, I took the plunge and purchased “Jordanetics”.

The first couple chapters did little to shed more light on JP, but did add more reasons to doubt my faith in him. However, once I reached chapter 3 and beyond, Vox’s dissection of JP’s positions began in earnest. Vox’s approach is quite simple.

  1. Here is JP’s Rule for Life #X
  2. Here is what JP says, which does not address said rule at all.
  3. What JP is saying means this, using JP’s own words.
  4. Now that we are clear on what JP is saying, you have to decide what to do.

I decided. Instead of a thinking JP is a man that supports what I support, I’ve come to the sad realization that he is antithetical to most of my values and beliefs. Wow! That hurt my pride and ego, but truth doesn’t care about those.

I’ll summarize: If you believe any of the following, then JP is your man:

  • There is no such thing as Objective Truth.
  • Truth is whatever helps you survive.
  • Being or State of Being is contingent on your acceptance of truth (little “t”) and rejection of “evil” (little ‘e’).
  • Evil is that which hinders you.
  • Jesus represents a state of being, but not a person, and definitely NOT the Son of God (God being the Creator).
  • Satan represents a state of being, but is not an actual fallen angel.
  • Social hierarchies exist, however, if you are too low or high, that’s evil. The goal is the middle, that’s where “good” is.
  • All ideas of God / gods are simply mankind’s attempts to explain states of being.
  • Belonging to a “group” will negatively affect your being.
  • All concepts of “good”, “evil”, God, Being, heaven / hell can be unified and coalesced into one concept…the one JP supports.

I could keep going. However, if you find these concepts appealing, then JP is your man. If, like me, you find these ideas to be irrational, nonsensical, demonstrably wrong, the opposite of your beliefs, etc., and you’ve been influenced by JP, then read “Jordanetics” and see for yourself…

To those who wrote negative reviews; I read them. I was where you are…putting my meanings into what JP says. I feel pity for those who continue to base their support for JP because of “what they think he means”, when what he actually means is there for everyone to find. However, like me, getting passed your ego and pride might be the toughest step for you to take. But take the challenge at take it…

In other words – Only the truth can withstand scrutiny.

Cucks Inc

I don’t know what CRTV stood for, but I assume it meant Cuckservative Republican TV.

The Blaze and CRTV announced on Monday that they were merging to create Blaze Media. Both say the move will allow the new conservative entity to reach 165 million people via television, online and on social media. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Blaze was founded by former Fox News host Glenn Beck in 2011, not long after he parted ways with the network, while CRTV was founded in 2014 by current Fox News host Mark Levin, who also hosts a nationally syndicated radio program.

This is supposed to be the alternative to ABCNNBCBS? They might as well have called it Gatekeeper Media and given Jordan Peterson a show.

Even the brightest can be dazzled

La Divina Paglia has an incisive take on the Deep State and the failure of secular humanism, but like most atheists, she is a sucker for spiritualist psychobabble:

The deep state is no myth but a sodden, intertwined mass of bloated, self-replicating bureaucracy that constitutes the real power in Washington and that stubbornly outlasts every administration. As government programs have incrementally multiplied, so has their regulatory apparatus, with its intrusive byzantine minutiae. Recently tagged as a source of anti-Trump conspiracy among embedded Democrats, the deep state is probably equally populated by Republicans and apolitical functionaries of Bartleby the Scrivener blandness. Its spreading sclerotic mass is wasteful, redundant, and ultimately tyrannical.

I have been trying for decades to get my fellow Democrats to realize how unchecked bureaucracy, in government or academe, is inherently authoritarian and illiberal. A persistent characteristic of civilizations in decline throughout history has been their self-strangling by slow, swollen, and stupid bureaucracies. The current atrocity of crippling student debt in the US is a direct product of an unholy alliance between college administrations and federal bureaucrats — a scandal that ballooned over two decades with barely a word of protest from our putative academic leftists, lost in their post-structuralist fantasies. Political correctness was not created by administrators, but it is ever-expanding campus bureaucracies that have constructed and currently enforce the oppressively rule-ridden regime of college life.

In the modern world, so wondrously but perilously interconnected, a principle of periodic reduction of bureaucracy should be built into every social organism. Freedom cannot survive otherwise…. From my perspective as an atheist as well as a career college teacher, secular humanism has been a disastrous failure.

As a longtime Camille Paglia fan, I’m not even remotely surprised to learn that she was impressed by Jordan Peterson. She is a left-libertarian academic who is naturally inclined to assume that anyone who can sling citations around so glibly possesses a brilliant mind. However, I suspect that were she to actually trouble to read his works, check those citations, or spend more time in his company, she would swiftly pick up on his mental illness and aberrational psychosexuality.

The real story in France

It will probably not surprise anyone here to know that the globomedia is completely misrepresenting the Yellow Vest protests in Paris. This is a post by an American living in Paris about what is really going on with the gilets jaunes.

It’s important to note that the majority of protestors are middle aged, these are not college or university students, who make up the usual French protests. This is a grassroots protest. It’s been reported anywhere from 50-80{f58ffdc504f80bac68191b5fd37702d6450abd7e1b4a7df1cf9b5dab55667e79} of the French support the gilets jaunes. This is NOT just about taxes.

The protests began over the new taxes imposed by Macron’s government on fuel. The taxes are viewed as punishing those who use cars and those who can’t afford to buy newer ones. The French already pay heavy taxes on fuel, along with high tolls on highways. Every car in France is required to have 2 high visibility vests (gilets jaunes). The protestors began wearing those vests while protesting.

Along with this, the cost of living is incredibly high while salaries are painfully low, especially in larger cities like Paris. The myth of government-ordered 35 hour work weeks isn’t the reality for most salaried French people. Taxes eat huge chunks of their money and the French are fed up with making the same amount in their salaries as those who don’t work at all and rely on government assistance.

Parts of France are also filled with unassimilated migrants. These migrants get government assistance as well. A large part of the French are sick of paying for migrants when French people are suffering as well. There are areas that have stopped being culturally French and cities the French avoid for holidays because of the migrant problem.

In addition to this, retired people have been lodging their dissatisfaction with their retirement pensions (one woman in a video circulating around French Facebook confronts Macron about having to live off of 500€ a month) and Macron’s reactions have been condescending across the board. He currently has about a 26{f58ffdc504f80bac68191b5fd37702d6450abd7e1b4a7df1cf9b5dab55667e79} approval rating.

All of this started bubbling up a few weeks ago as the protests began with the gilets jaunes in November. The protests last weekend got violent. Statues at the Arc De Triomphe were broken; the Arc was defaced. In Marseille, an 80 year old woman was killed as she was closing her shutters. The police threw a tear gas canister at her window. While outside of larger cities, many police officers and firefighters are taking off their helmets and/or standing in solidarity with the gilets jaunes. There have been reports that they have also refused to shake Macron’s hand and have turned their backs to government officials while serving in official capacities.

On Monday (December 2), there was a protest by the ambulances in Paris. They stood at Concorde with lights flashing and sirens sounding. Truck drivers have also showed their solidarity. They have also driven through Paris with lights flashing to show their dissatisfaction. Roads have been closed down by gilets jaunes and they are blocking access of oil in both ports and at stations. As of posting, over 650 stations are on a list of facing shortages or out of fuel. During yesterday’s news cycle, many truck drivers were seen disrupting broadcasts by honking in solidarity with the gilets jaunes.

On Tuesday (December 3), the French government spoke about their plans for “appeasement” of the gilets jaunes. Their offer was to postpone the start date of 3 taxes (related to fuel). This offer has been scoffed at by the gilets jaunes, who have called it “crumbs” as the taxes haven’t even been implemented yet and the offer does nothing to address the issues regarding cost of living.

Along with this, the French have begun demanding that Macron refuse to sign the UN Migration Act on December 10. This has begun appearing across the Facebook groups and events but has not been widely reported in the French media as far as I can tell.

This has culminated in everything from demands Macron step down to the creation of the 6th Republic. There are protests planned for Saturday across France. The protestors are calling the Paris protests ACT 4. They are quoting from the French National Anthem (“Aux Armes Citoyens”) and planning to protest at Bastille. The medical community is also participating in the protests on Saturday.

TLDR: This is bigger than taxes. These aren’t your usual French protests.

Ruh-roh

There are a number of signs that will alert us if Jordanetics begins to transform into a full-blown religious cult. For example, if Peterson’s followers start to establish international connections around the world and start founding institutions for the study and propagation of the 12-Rule Path, that will be a reliable indicator that what one fan has told us “feels like a movement” has evolved into an advanced form of Jordanetics that represents a realization of the post-Christian vision originally proposed by Yeats.
– Jordanetics, Chapter 19: The Cult of Jordanetics

Yeah, so, about that….

So much for “hard-working” immigrants

Remember how conservatives like to talk about hard-working immigrants? And how liberals like to talk about how immigrants work harder than native US citizens? Yeah, well, they’re just more lies being utilized to justify the invasion of the United States and the displacement of Americans:

More than 7-in-10 households headed by immigrants in the state of California are on taxpayer-funded welfare, a new study reveals.

The latest Census Bureau data analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) finds that about 72 percent of households headed by noncitizens and immigrants use one or more forms of taxpayer-funded welfare programs in California — the number one immigrant-receiving state in the U.S.

Meanwhile, only about 35 percent of households headed by native-born Americans use welfare in California.

All four states with the largest foreign-born populations, including California, have extremely high use of welfare by immigrant households. In Texas, for example, nearly 70 percent of households headed by immigrants use taxpayer-funded welfare. Meanwhile, only about 35 percent of native-born households in Texas are on welfare.

In New York and Florida, a majority of households headed by immigrants and noncitizens are on welfare. Overall, about 63 percent of immigrant households use welfare while only 35 percent of native-born households use welfare.

Mass immigration is actually WORSE than military invasion and occupation over an extended period of time. It usually costs more native lives too.

The end of neoconservativism

From Twitter:

BREAKING: Multiple sources tell me that neocon magazine @weeklystandard is expected to close its operations in a few weeks. It had lost many subscribers since the 2016 election as its #NeverTrumper editors @BillKristol @stephenfhayes @SykesCharlie publicly aligned with the Left.

Good riddance. We can safely anticipate Commentary, the Ineffectual Dork Web, and the other neocon vehicles eventually drying up and blowing away. No one is paying any serious attention to any of them anymore. They’re totally irrelevant in a post-monopolar world.

Tonight: Dave Rubin interviews Ben Shapiro and Harvey Weinstein about Jordan Peterson! And don’t miss a special show tomorrow when Dave interviews Jordan Peterson about Ben Shapiro’s latest appearance on Joe Rogan!

AH#5 Gold Logo now available

The gold logo edition of AH#5: London calling is now available for $2.99 from Arkhaven Direct. Please keep in mind that only the gold logos will be printed in the royal octavo size, as once we switch to the standard logo, we will also switch to the larger standard comic book size.

When London comes calling, death is knocking on the door.

The directors of the United Nations Superhuman Protection Council have learned the hard way that putting pressure on the families of the next-gen renegades is a game far too dangerous to play. But their newfound limitations does not mean they don’t have other resources on which to call, resources that are every bit as dangerous as the superhumans they are hunting.

Alt★Hero is an exciting new line of superhero comics from Arkhaven Comics.

Don’t forget that you can also back the Alt★Hero:Q 2.1 campaign in case you missed the two-day 2.0 campaign.

The parliament betrays the British people

The British politicians are determined to keep Britain in the European Union:

Today a group of senior Tories including Ken Clarke, Nicky Morgan and Oliver Letwin tabled a Commons amendment designed to stop a No Deal outcome.

Their motion would ensure that if the Government loses next week’s vote, MPs will have the power to decide what happens next.

It means Parliament would be able to vote for Brexit to be delayed or for a second referendum, instead of Britain leaving the EU in March without a deal.

I’m not surprised that they’re doing this, once it became clear that plenty of Britons actually preferred a no-deal Brexit to any of the various “deals” that left Britain tied and subservient to the EU. But it’s very far from over, although the British people need to recall that one seldom votes one’s way to freedom and sovereignty.

What civic nationalism hath wrought

Sarah Hoyt has yet to come to terms with the fact that it is her “born American in Portugal” civic nationalism that has led the United States to the brink of civil war:

But is it better if the rough music plays and civil war breaks out?

Civil war is not impossible. Despite the fact that we’re emulsified, red and blue living side by side (but not in harmony), civil war is not impossible. It’s just not the civil war we’ve read about in history books, the stories of the grey and the blue and neat armies on the field.

Sure, sure, brothers fought on opposing sides and son against father. But it was still largely territorial. Terrain gained and lost.

If civil war comes, it will be a war of insurrection. Of many groups against many. Of balkanization. Of neighbor turning on neighbor. Of houses burning and corpses hanging from neighborhood trees. Over and over and over again, and vendettas tossed in.

We’ve seen this. Most such wars go on forever. They become clan wars and wars of vengeance. After a century or so you fight because of what they did to your side in ’79. Or whenever.

Or we could get lucky. Read “lucky.” One side could emerge victorious. A faction could emerge the strongest in a few years and pacify the country. By then it will take fire and blood and an iron boot. We’ll have to be unreally lucky to reform again under the old Constitution after that. More likely we’ll become like the other countries of the world, even the nominal republics: power and the old families, and the “right blood.”

Is that what you want?

It is not what I want.

But neither do I want the silent ignominy of tolerating fraud, of slowly sliding into a socialist morass because we dared not speak.

What is the answer?

I don’t have one.

The answer is not what about what Fake Americans want. It’s not even about what genuine Americans want. It’s about what they wanted and what they permitted over the last 70 years. At this point, due to the mass movement of peoples, civil war for control of the territory of the United States is not only not impossible, it is all but inevitable. There are three choices: subjugation, secession, and civil war. In the most likely scenario, we will see elements of all three, beginning with subjugation of the genuine Christian American nation, followed by secession, then what passes for civil war.

And the reason it will happen is because far too many people like Sarah Hoyt were permitted to not only become legal citizens, but were given a voice in government. Now the Fake Americans are more or less ruling over the people they invaded, and many people who came here because they wanted to live in an American society ruled by Americans don’t like the inevitable consequences of their own collective actions.

Sarah is not a bad person. And one cannot reasonably fault people acting at the micro level for the macrosocietal consequences. But good people with good intentions have succeeded in accomplishing many very bad, very destructive things since the dawn of recorded human history. I don’t blame her, or people like her, for invading America, I blame those who permitted and encouraged the invasion. But I do certainly fault them for refusing to admit that they were always part of the problem, even now.

Of course the United States “will become like the other countries of the world.” How could it possibly fail to do so, now that it is mostly inhabited by people from those other countries?