I used to use have Japanese college students of English sit in small groups and deconstruct-reconstruct the Judy Garland version of Wizard of Oz for Comparative Culture classes. Alas, that was before the current narrative gave it so much more potential. As I read along, a host of characters currently on the world-stage marched through my head, most, a bit less benign than the scarecrow ... and far too many 'flying monkeys' (borrowed from the current dark-triad take on sociopathic enablers).
Although I knew about Cabaret's popularity with the gay community, I didn't know about Judy or Lisa's personal connections.
And although I will make a more detailed enquiry a bit later in my own substack, I am wondering if the current Epstein-pedophilia narrative is keeping researchers from studies about what I think is a probable correlation between the recent rise in gender dysphoria and NPI's ... those masking-distancing-isolating policies which 'conveniently empower rule-driven institutions' at the cost of empathy-driven individuals, families, and communities.
That great line about Judy getting over the Rainbow reminded me of what has to be one of the most heart breaking 'Christmas' songs, hell, any song, in my memory ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY&t=4s
I also wonder the degree to which Big Data is running analyses on our mortality decisions, flooding us with circumstantial trivia in order how to build a Matrix of information around us so that we do not dig into what's been lost.
At about 22:14, Jordan Peterson was just saying the same thing about that same problem ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpnvGA-wJIE .... computational power putting everything at our fingertips, but also in our face. I'm guessing the virtues of a good old fashioned 'liberal arts' education is a powerful tool for separating the wheat from the chaff, but that kind of empowerment is the last thing the powers-that-be want to us to have. Returning to Oz is a good start.
Shoshanna Zuboff, in her book "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism", does a great job of illuminating the history and techniques used by Big Tech to mould and constrain our behaviour.
The recent US First Amendment actions against the US Federal Government and Facebook may expose this to a wider audience, a few of whom may even benefit.
I purchased a Kindle version of that book along with Michael Sandel's '' The Tyranny of Merit", but put off finishing Zuboff because so much other stuff kept escalating.
It was not a quick read; neither was "The Real Anthony Fauci." Both were worth the time spent. I have gained some time by cancelling my Globe and Mail subscription, but do pay for The Epoch Times.
I hear you about the information overload. I read the Fauci book, and am a free subscriber to Epock times, and most recently 'Popular Resistance' and 'The Hatachard Report'. Last American Vagabond is good, when I have time.
When I was in fourth and fifth grade spending summer with my grandparents, the local library had the complete series of Oz books. I remember reading them avidly, probably over two summers. Did not see the politics then. I have followed politics since I was young, only once venturing into them as a staffer on an unsuccessful US Senate campaign. Perhaps I should have tried harder to change the world, but we are not done yet.
Hi Mathew,
I used to use have Japanese college students of English sit in small groups and deconstruct-reconstruct the Judy Garland version of Wizard of Oz for Comparative Culture classes. Alas, that was before the current narrative gave it so much more potential. As I read along, a host of characters currently on the world-stage marched through my head, most, a bit less benign than the scarecrow ... and far too many 'flying monkeys' (borrowed from the current dark-triad take on sociopathic enablers).
Although I knew about Cabaret's popularity with the gay community, I didn't know about Judy or Lisa's personal connections.
And although I will make a more detailed enquiry a bit later in my own substack, I am wondering if the current Epstein-pedophilia narrative is keeping researchers from studies about what I think is a probable correlation between the recent rise in gender dysphoria and NPI's ... those masking-distancing-isolating policies which 'conveniently empower rule-driven institutions' at the cost of empathy-driven individuals, families, and communities.
That great line about Judy getting over the Rainbow reminded me of what has to be one of the most heart breaking 'Christmas' songs, hell, any song, in my memory ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY&t=4s
Cheers Mathew,
— steve
I think you're on the right track.
I also wonder the degree to which Big Data is running analyses on our mortality decisions, flooding us with circumstantial trivia in order how to build a Matrix of information around us so that we do not dig into what's been lost.
At about 22:14, Jordan Peterson was just saying the same thing about that same problem ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpnvGA-wJIE .... computational power putting everything at our fingertips, but also in our face. I'm guessing the virtues of a good old fashioned 'liberal arts' education is a powerful tool for separating the wheat from the chaff, but that kind of empowerment is the last thing the powers-that-be want to us to have. Returning to Oz is a good start.
Iain McGilchrist says the same. I may have linked part one. He speaks more specifically to this idea in part two. https://channelmcgilchrist.com/iain-mcgilchrist-and-rebel-wisdom-we-need-to-act/
Thanks for the headsup Amking ... listening now.
Cheers!
Shoshanna Zuboff, in her book "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism", does a great job of illuminating the history and techniques used by Big Tech to mould and constrain our behaviour.
The recent US First Amendment actions against the US Federal Government and Facebook may expose this to a wider audience, a few of whom may even benefit.
Hi rjt,
I purchased a Kindle version of that book along with Michael Sandel's '' The Tyranny of Merit", but put off finishing Zuboff because so much other stuff kept escalating.
It was not a quick read; neither was "The Real Anthony Fauci." Both were worth the time spent. I have gained some time by cancelling my Globe and Mail subscription, but do pay for The Epoch Times.
I hear you about the information overload. I read the Fauci book, and am a free subscriber to Epock times, and most recently 'Popular Resistance' and 'The Hatachard Report'. Last American Vagabond is good, when I have time.
Thank you Mathew.
If their remake is like everything else they "improve", it will be unwatchable garbage.
Spot on...
I do...
Check out mine...
https://fritzfreud.substack.com/p/zero-emissions-how-i-expose-the-wef
Great song! Scary clown movie.
Those are awesome illustrations the like of which are no longer seen.
How can you marry a gay man and have a child with him?
Because he ain't gay if that's the case...
Hypocrisy in Action...
Anyway the Wizard of Oz is one of my all time favorite books.
It isn't a children book... it is and always has been political.
Still love it.
Where did you get the Illustrations... they are great
The Wizard of Oz is among my all time Favorite books.
Others are:
Hermann Hesse - Siddhartha & Demian
George Orwell - Animal Farm / 1984 / The Road to Wigan pier
Lewis Carrol - Alice / Through the Looking Glass
C.S. Lewis - Narnia all of them
Frank Herbert - Dune (1st book)
Friedrich Nietzsche - Thus spoke Zarathustra
James Clavell - Tai Pan
When I was in fourth and fifth grade spending summer with my grandparents, the local library had the complete series of Oz books. I remember reading them avidly, probably over two summers. Did not see the politics then. I have followed politics since I was young, only once venturing into them as a staffer on an unsuccessful US Senate campaign. Perhaps I should have tried harder to change the world, but we are not done yet.
Thank you Mathew. I had not read the book. I didn't know about Judy Garland's sad story or the illustrations, and never thought about Baum's theme.
I have been saying that I am not motivated by money for a while now. Until very recently, no one ever asked me what was my motivation.
Does anyone remember scarecrow having a firearm? I don’t. But apparently he did.