Subversive, Transformative, Emancipatory Hope

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Dear Readers -

One of my main reasons for being on planet Earth is to help minimize and alleviate the world's suffering -- among my fellow humans as well as among the animals and plants and spiritual beings with whom we share this realm.

My day-to-day actions are motivated not just by my yearning to feel fulfilled and authentic, but also by my passion for influences that generate practical compassion.

To that end, I recommend voting for as many Democratic candidates as possible. They are far more likely than Republicans to reduce the world's suffering and generate practical compassion.

FYI: I am an Independent, not a member of the Democratic Party.

The success of the Democrats in this election is crucial if we are to avoid the death, decay, and disaster that would befall America if Republicans come into greater power.

Foremost among those tragedies would be:

* a national law prohibiting abortion

* an end to the integrity of democratic elections

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DON'T LET DEMOCRACY END UP ON A DEATHBED

These are the facts: More than 370 people—a vast majority of Republicans running for office—have questioned and/or outright denied the results of the 2020 election—despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Forty-eight of 50 states have Big Lie supporters running for office.

The stakes boil down to a basic question: If one of two major political parties no longer believes in free and fair elections, how can democracy still function?

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ABORTION ACCESS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Abortion access is crucial for health care and important for equality.

More info.


Completely banning abortion in the U.S. would lead to a 21% increase in the number of pregnancy-related deaths overall and a 33% increase among Black women, girls, and people who can become pregnant, simply because staying pregnant is more dangerous than having an abortion.

Increased deaths due to unsafe abortions or attempted abortions would be in addition to these estimates.

Read more of my thoughts here.





My most recent book is Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia.

Below is an excerpt.

You're a star—and so am I. I'm a genius—and so are you. Your success encourages my brilliance, and my charisma enhances your power. Your victory doesn't require my defeat, and vice versa.

Those are the rules in the New World—quite unlike the rules in the Old World, where zero-sum games are the norm, and only one of us can win each time we play.

In the New World, you don't have to tone down or apologize for your prowess, because you love it when other people shine. You exult in your own excellence without regarding it as a sign of inherent superiority.

As you ripen more and more of your latent aptitude, you inspire the rest of us to claim our own idiosyncratic magnificence.

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Tibetan Buddhist teacher Geshe Chekawa (1220–1295) specialized in bodhicitta, seeking enlightenment not for personal gain but as a way to serve others. On his deathbed, he prayed to be sent to hell so that he might alleviate the suffering of the lost souls there.

As you explore pronoia, you will discover that like Chekawa, you have a huge capacity to help people. Unlike him, you'll find that expressing your benevolence doesn't require you to go to hell.

It may even be unnecessary for you to sacrifice your own joy or to practice self-denial. Just the opposite: Being in service to humanity and celebrating your unique power will be synergistic. They will need each other to thrive.

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The Golden Rule is a decent ethical principle, but it could be even better. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" presumes that others enjoy what you enjoy. But that's wrong. There are many things you'd like to have done unto you that others would either despise or be bored by. Here's a new, improved formulation, which we call the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would like to have you do unto them.

Using this improved formula is not just a virtuous way to live, but is also the best way to ensure the success of your selfish goals. The rituals and spells of various occult orders purport to be supercharged techniques for imposing your personal will on the chaotic flow of events, but I say that practicing the Platinum Rule outstrips all of them as an exercise to enhance your potency and happiness.