Truth - Looking at Ivermectin
A friend recommended I look into Ivermectin, this is what happened – a zandtao blog addressed to my friend.
I started watching Bret Weinstein (your podcast of interest) and became wary. With a Google search I had initially become concerned about some of the people Bret was associated with – esp Jordan Peterson, and when I heard the tone of the talk I looked further into him. He is part of the self-described “Intellectual Dark Web” - wiki(IDW).
I don’t usually listen to them (IDW) because of their intellectualism and financial affinities. I once read a crit of the IDW that they have one thing in common, and that is they are anti-socialist - no scientific evidence for this any evidence against this? The significance of this possible commonality is that the IDW have doors opened for them (finance) because they are anti-socialist.
Now I am not as vehement about promoting socialism as I used to be because I don’t think Marxism and any development thereof can ever work, the forces of division they are fighting – I use 1%-satrapy to describe these forces - are so powerful that if the 99% were to ever get close to uniting somehow they would buy people off.
Much of what I am going to write now is not about ivermectin but the socio-political forces that are in play. So let me first address the issue of ivermectin in a very limited way. Most of the sound arguments I know come from what you told me on Duo. What you said is the first time anyone has ever explained Africa. Having lived there I know people are "used to dropping like flies", and they have no strong survival instinct because of that. There ought to be some explanation as to why Covid death rates are low in comparison with the West, and what you said about ivermectin is the first such I have heard. Then you said patents, and if there is no way of controlling a patent BigPharma will repress any cure. This then attracts me to ivermectin.
What doesn’t attract me is that it is a chemical. To me all chemicals are toxic, but some toxic chemicals have beneficial side effects. Since living in Thailand – starting mb – I have stopped talking chemicals. Except once. I got a septic foot from an insect bite – I was hobbling and my natural immunity wasn’t healing it. I took some chemicals including iodine, something else, antibiotics and it went. Chemicals worked then but I don’t want toxins in my body.
Why vaccines then? I described them as homeopathic and you laughed at me because of the alternative stuff that passes for homeopathy in the West.. In the 19th and 20th centuries Rockefeller manipulated medical college curricula so that in the end they only taught allopathic medicine – intervention using synthetic drugs often developed from oil (Rockefeller); here is a non-rigorous description of the medical change implemented by Rockefeller. Prior to this medicine sought to be holistic, the opposite of allopathic – homeopathic, where medicine was natural and was used to boost the natural strength of the body to fight disease; here is an article whose use of the two terms is similar to mine. Such medicine was often herbal and “natural”, and therefore unpatentable, so Rockefeller and BigPharma historically got rid of such treatments replacing them with synthetic supposed equivalents - often oil-based. Holistic treatments are coming back because people are learning how harmful toxic synthetic medicines are. However such approaches don’t cope with physical trauma; in China I saw TCM hospitals (acupuncture plus) and trauma hospitals working side-by-side – interesting - similar in Bkk's Chinatown Yaowarat.
The principle of vaccines is holistic or homeopathic as you know and explained to me. Vaccines however cross over the holistic and the allopathic. I have no problem with the holistic principle of building up cell immunity, but for me the problem with vaccines comes in when you have to hold the homeopathic vaccine in a chemical solution in order for the vaccine to be stored. At one time I read somewhere that some vaccines were held in mercury – a poison. BigPharma knows mercury is poisonous but they still use(d) it. Mercury fillings are still used in teeth even though as they slowly break down mercury goes into your system. My science is not up to arguing with you, let alone arguing with the shills the companies employ. Money buys the scientists like Wakefield, and exploits them. Science and scientific method does not control science so I end up taking extreme positions wrt science because the science I trust is not in control. When it comes to the Covid vaccine, I don’t want to take it because it is chemical; I don’t trust any of the vaccines although I am inclined to trust Sinovac because it is not western – having lived there I trust the Chinese government to help her people no matter how dictatorial they are. When you also say that Sinovac is more homeopathic than the western developed vaccines (a more traditional vaccine), I was even more sympathetic; but Thailand government has a more western outlook if they ever get round to enough vaccines. With regards to vaccines I believe all this spiritual person says except her conclusion, I think as a social species we should take the vaccine because that is how vaccines work ina "herd". I will do things I disagree with because that is what society wants – I sometimes don’t put my intellectual self first.
And now we are back to the IDW, themes around the IDW, and why I distrust them. I distrust all intellectuals. Let me explain why. When I first started on the spiritual path I kind of threw away all my upbringing and education, because the path said be compassionate. I became politically active because my compassion said be caring for all people – hence socialism. I see socialism as a theoretical political system which is supposed to benefit all the people. This of course is what democracy is supposed to be - for the people, by the people etc.; but our democratic systems are controlled by finance, socialism less so. So my compassion tells me to do what needs to be done to help all the people – not necessarily help me. To me being compassionate is the opposite of being selfish.
Now an intellectual has an idea or a set of ideas, and promotes these ideas – so an intellectual is selfish for these ideas. So as a compassionate person I am against this selfishness. Unfortunately within socialism too many people promote the ideas of socialism and are not compassionate for the people, and this is another reason why I think socialism doesn’t work. I also don’t promote socialism any more because the 1%-satrapy, forces that finance the IDW amongst others, have divided people against socialism; supporting socialism is now divisive and yet ironically socialism is about helping people. Now my politics is path activism – pathtivism and I promote #NatureCompassionDecency.
Throughout my political activity I found intellectuals promoting division sometimes within the grass roots movement but usually from outside. Such people had no decency and were willing to do whatever it took to promote their ideas. This of course suited the forces of division who were happy with anything that divides the 99% and allows the 1% to continue with exploitation.
The IDW do not support grass roots movements but support their own individual intellectual agendas. Perhaps I am being unfair as I only know of three IDW – Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris and now Bret Weinstein, all of whom promote ideas that are associated with their names – they are not fighting for all people.
Soon after I retired I became interested in diet – macrobiotics (mb). Mb people tend to be right-wing intellectuals – libertarians, so I became aware of many of their issues. Diet-wise mb means non-toxic foods – usually organic plant-based foods. The founder of mb was a Japanese man, and mb becomes expensive because you are supposed to buy some healthy Japanese food. Mb is also yin-yang, not just with food but with life in general – energetic forces of yin-yang (centrifugal and centripetal), and there is much about yin-yang in social interaction. Mb people tend to be attracted to the IDW because of libertarianism. This is the intellectual freedom that the right-wing talk about so much; they put freedom first even if people get hurt.
I had a huge problem with this freedom especially politically. They screamed for free trade as do the right-wing parties. For Libertarians the word that matters is free, but I look at what free trade does – it is a bullies’ charter; no protections for poor countries so BigCompany can exploit them. Countries in Africa whose people are paid a pittance have the prices for natural resources because of free trade, who else can they sell to? In the US the Republicans fund Libertarians but it is interesting to listen to Chomsky on US Libertarians – who have separated from the European Libertarian tradition that was traditionally based in proletarian movements. Many intellectuals gravitate towards this Libertarian freedom because they believe their ideas are more important than poor people suffering. Libertarians and mb people are being exploited because they are standing for ideas and not standing for caring. Compassion does not exploit.
The Libertarian principle is that they do not support government regulation and government interference, such interference considered as an infringement of personal liberty. In practice this means that this Libertarian principle is against protective government regulation particularly for resources at places such as Native American lands. In terms of free trade the principle works against the interests of poor countries yet does nothing against the huge resource cartels such as oil and diamonds that maintain high prices often artificially – artificially against the market mechanisms capitalism supposedly celebrates. These cartels are transnational - not subject to government restrictions. The only capitalist “principle” these cartels follow is getting as much profit as possible – by any means necessary. Supporting Libertarians is a clear example of big business investing in their own interest, other forms of investment are less direct. Because of these finance affinities I watch as IDW are funded yet when it comes to the poor or the planet there is no money available for podcasts - and no apparent desire from the IDW individuals themselves. All these IDW have youtube channels with quality productions, podcasts, book deals, tours etc, yet caring people who attack the 1% have none of it.
Much of the above cannot be substantiated in any scientific way – it comes from observation (one case study – me). Because you asked me to look into ivermectin I am telling you. I have discussed it in blogs since retiring but have forgotten most of it now. Quite simply any attempt to promote socialism is just divisive now because of the power of the finance. At the same time the egos on the left are a huge problem, so I now just stick with pathtivism.
So when it comes to Dark Horse I am wary as I am of all IDW. We have discussed Jordan Peterson and I looked at what he speaks of a number of years ago. He is strongly anti-socialist often quoting Stalinist pogroms as his reason. Most socialists think of Stalin as a dictator - and not as a socialist, and Peterson never discusses the possibility of there being Cold War imperialism in line with Korea, Vietnam etc. Significant throughout Peterson’s ideologies there is limited compassion – possibly some compassion for white males being victimised by liberals and feminists. Compassion is concerned with freedom from suffering for all – including white males; history can see their privilege so it is understandable that currently there is some redress, but compassion is for all. I hope for his sake that certain recent doubts are opening the door to his compassion.
I have sufficient distrust in BigPharma to be inclined to listen to what IDW say, but Dark Horse is part of an IDW movement that I don’t trust. Because of this lack of trust I am only left with science, and I don’t have the science to understand. Is FLCCC sound and robust? I don’t know. Are the scientists he quotes sound and robust? I don’t know.
So me and ivermectin. I am sufficiently convinced that if I took chemicals I would take ivermectin – I am convinced from your studies (mentioned above) that it would reduce serious Covid effects, reason enough to take it. I am hoping that I get the vaccine before Covid gets me. I am still undecided whether to buy ivermectin, but funded intellectuals are not going to convince me.
Much of my understanding of these issues came from being mb and looking at cancer. Have you studied the big business that is BigCancer? When people give to cancer research they are giving to BigCancer, yet there are many possible lifestyle approaches including mb that people claim can alleviate cancer? Why haven’t they been researched? Why do some people swear by Gerson claiming cancer recovery yet Americans have to go to Mexico to be treated? Why aren’t Gerson, mb and all the other claims scientifically investigated? Don’t they have meticulous records and case histories? Because BigCancer cannot profit – they don’t have the patents for nature. The crimes of BigCancer are the same crimes committed over ivermectin – BigProfit before people, hence my sympathy. But in this age of fake news sympathy is not enough – I had some sympathy for Alex Jones years ago, but he has been proven beyond any doubts for me to be an egotist; it is so easy to be fooled.
As you are a scientist I must apologise. How I decide about ivermectin has so little to do with science? Finance has destroyed the robustness of science because finance has greater opportunities to exploit. In the US Trump could not have withdrawn from Paris if science had not been undermined. And yet Paris is just token as science will tell you – if it hasn’t been bought off by finance.
The more you investigate how science is misused the greater understanding you will have of the way society is. Is there any explanation needed for global problems other than 1%-satrapy?
But the final nail in the coffin of IDW for me has nothing to do with the forces of division – finance and targetted funding – it is Eckhart and Buddhism ie the path. Let’s start with Eckhart. He talks about ego clinging to thoughts and ideas. Such egos can be clearly seen in religious wars where different beliefs concerning the same underlying consciousness have historically been used to create war; how can war in Ireland ever have been justified on religious grounds? Analysts such as myself see British imperialism and the 1%-satrapy as being the relevant history in Ireland back to Cromwell but religion was ostensibly used for division.
But if egos were not clinging to ideas such an excuse could never have arisen - as Eckhart might say. But Eckhart is not isolated in his consideration of such clinging. In Theravada Buddhism the word for clinging is upadana, and they usually speak of four of them:-
kamupadana – clinging to desire (lust etc.) - kama,
ditthupadana – clinging to ideas – ditthi,
silabattupadana - clinging to rites and ritual – silabatta, and
attavupadana – clinging to attava – similar to anatta – selfishness and more.
To follow the path seekers try to end attachment and clinging, intellectuals would not be considered seekers in this sense as they would be considered as attaching to ditthi and attava.
In this world of intentional confusion concerning truth, it is hard to find a way through. I am only prepared to be assertive of what I know as truth or what I can trust. I cannot trust the IDW but I don’t believe they see themselves as liars – even Alex Jones. They are part of an egoic US culture that is transferring to the UK (Farage etc.) and perhaps Europe. I am fearful of the impact of such intellectualism because it is so hard to disprove. Interestingly the only people who can disprove them are scientists, and so many scientists are compromised by their career decisions. Such scientists might choose BigCompany research, university research where funding is controlled by BigBusiness, or global UN organisations such as WHO; working for any of these people means the scientist is not free to speak.
As you said we only ever learn the truth in history, I would not be surprised if ivermectin is proven by history but I am unable to discern that now. Over time I think humanity will develop some form of Covid immunity but judging my body now I am too old for that – 10 years ago I would have backed my body. If I were ever diagnosed with Covid I would ask for ivermectin but it might well be too late by then.
Have you read this far? I just said we learn truth in history, for me this is not completely true. If we look at Buddhism (and Eckhart) we are taught what truth is in a spiritual sense – true sense but not always useful in daily life. Truth is that which is beyond conditioning. We are subject to conditioning – from birth – from conception. If you looked at the 4 Agreements, conditioning is described as the agreements we make with society, but conditioning takes that understanding further. From birth we learn to survive – natural instincts, and through love and upbringing we “inherit” parental understanding which is conditioned by society and their upbringing. By the time we have finished education we are conditioned. I stipulate that conditioning has 2 components – the instinctual and societal, although it is the same process; in our lives conditioning just happens to us unless we consciously work against being conditioned – consciously go beyond conditioning.
Another way of understanding conditioning is - it is that which produces ego – much closer to Eckhart now. When we attach or cling to any conditioning it is ego. Hence your reaction to Bret Weinstein that he had these “egos” - pushing website etc. If we see all that is instinctual and societal conditioning as producing egos, then it is not particularly insulting to talk of people as having egos; it could be argued that the only sort of person never to have had an ego is a Buddha or Christ or Muhammed etc.
What is important is to have a clear relationship with truth; to understand that truth is beyond conditioning brings with it good discernment, but of itself does not define “truth”. When we talk of education we indirectly speak of compromise. When I talk of my own knocking heads in education, you talk of detachment and family; this is a relationship with truth. Be clear there is no judgement, your relationship with truth is your business – I do not evaluate it unless you ask; I do not evaluate anyone’s relationship to truth except through blogs etc. that are not usually personal.
Science is going through the mill in terms of its relationship with truth – education is as well. Back in the 70s when I first started on my path, looking at societal truth was much easier. There was conditioning, going beyond conditioning and societally that meant recognising class. In general people who saw beyond conditioning socially recognised class as the issue – excluding indigenous peoples whose truth was always based in Gaia.
The 1% are not happy with such recognition; fierce individualism was promoted from Thatcher onwards, and we live in a culture of individuals rather than the compassionate culture discussed above. The boundary between individualism and egotism is very blurred, I could argue there is no such boundary because of Unity (but this is long enough). What is clear is that the increase in individualism has increased scepticism of government education and science creating confusion, a confusion I argue only benefits the 1% working in shadows. I suggest we need to be careful of individualism such as IDW.
Where does that leave truth and science in daily life? What is the relationship with truth? The only truth that I trust is my experience. There are still science sceptics (discussed here on my blog) who argue that acupuncture does not help healing; no-one can convince me of that “truth” quite simply because I have experienced healing through acupuncture. The deeper I have followed my path the greater trust I have in my experience, and my ability to survive without believing “what is out there”.
What is the interaction between science and my experience. My training is in maths and stats – latterly stats. Stats fully supports scientific method and is concerned with the design of experiments and the reliability of scientific conclusion – significance. What my statistical understanding opened up was the possibility of manipulation of scientific conclusions, and from the time of my almost-Med in Stats in 1973 and now I have become more and more aware of manipulation by finance and compromise. In 1973 (at the time of the book Lies Damn Lies and Statistics by Michael Wheeler), the manipulation was primarily about maintaining broad class interest eg lies about trickle down and the Vietnam War. Now those lies (Fake News)
are about everything – they have been financed to be about everything, but I can offer no proof. I can however offer a “rule of thumb”. Who benefits from this confusion with regards to government, science and education? The resource exploitation of the 1%, and the resource wars of the 1%. Especially during Occupy these were questioned, now we just live in a world of identity battles – my blog - wight vs woke – and the 1% just get on with it.
Have you heard of conspirituality? When I first started to awaken the world that opened up was fascinating, but I had no experience to fall back on. Luckily I fell into the arms of an Arts Centre who reinforced my awareness and helped with my understanding – great people and times. They helped me trust my own feelings and experience even when all around were laughing at people like me. Nowadays there is not so much mockery but where do you look when you realise that your whole life has been conditioned? The people with the loudest voices (because of finance) are Jordan/IDW, Buddhists are much less attractive – less charismatic because they have no ego; maybe such start of awakening are also taking people to cults. Or more safely to Teal Swan who has charisma and the attraction of the alternative? But it is all so confusing. Finding a relationship with truth is now a fundamental act of survival in today’s society, and for the essence of that is to end any form of belief and trust in your own experience.
I think I’ve stopped now – good luck with all of this.
The integrated path of compassion, insight and creativity - the struggle for GAIA. 
