Don't drink the Kool-Aid

Open your mind and think things through

The familiar phrase of the title dates back to the horrific Jonestown mass suicide of 1978, in which more than 900 followers of Jim Jones committed suicide at his direction, by drinking a deadly mix containing cyanide, dished out with grape-flavored Kool-Aid. As it happens, most of the drinks were created with Flavor Aid—a competitive brand. Photographic evidence indicates that both brands were used.

Nowadays, the phrase describes the action of someone who has blind faith in a particular authority, with little regard for corroborating evidence; and often, when confronted with facts contrary to their belief system, will hold onto their views with even greater fervor.

Let’s apply critical thinking to some contemporary issues.

Brittney Griner/Viktor Bout prisoner swap

This has been widely condemned, both because it was a ridiculously disproportionate exchange, and because US Marine Paul Whelan was left behind in Russia. Bout is a notorious arms dealer who had been serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that were to be used against Americans.

Commentator Dana Loesch noted: “I don't know. Maybe if some of those Americans that are imprisoned in jail over there in Russia - maybe if they were as anti-American as Brittney Griner's been, maybe they'd been released a hell of a lot quicker. Who knows.” 

A good deal of “conservative” commentary described the swap as a “mistake” proving the naivete of Biden. Certainly, it was a mistake diplomatically, and will only increase the risk for prominent Americans overseas. Other voices praised how Griner’s release was some sort of victory for the LGBTQ community.

While there is truth in both of these positions, that’s really beside the point. Biden was able to earn some props from the alphabetties, but his main goal was simply to hurt the US. And, leaving behind Whelan was just a big middle finger extended to patriotic Americans.

Before you dismiss my take on this, make sure that you are not suffering from denialism—a defense mechanism that prevents us from assuming the worst, even if it is the only rational explanation. (Oh, no. My wife couldn’t possibly be cheating on me. There must be some other explanation.)

Or, was the abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan and the abandonment of allies and billions of dollars worth of materiel just a “mistake,” and not an intentional self-inflicted blow to damage American prestige worldwide? Sorry, but in an institution as big as the federal government, accidents of this magnitude are scarce, and there are very few snap decisions.

The COVID lockdowns were a “mistake”

Here again, the policy WAS a horrible mistake in that it was the wrong course of action. Drastically wrong, and simulations related to a flu pandemic already proved this. No matter, the lockdowns became law. Small stores had to close, but big chains could remain open. Interpersonal contact had to be limited, except if you were in a George Floyd demonstration.

Churches had to close, even if they remained open during the Black Plague. Masks had to be worn, despite any evidence showing that they were effective. Naturally these masks all come from China, as did the virus.

Destruction of the economy would make people more dependent on big government, and could open up things like mass-mailed ballots, which led to extensive voter fraud. Since lockdowns were pretty much done worldwide, you can assume that a larger agenda was in play.

Now that an unprecedented level of control had been unleashed on the public, it would be easy to put draconian vaccine policies in place. More than that, silencing of everyone, no matter how elite their pedigree in medicine, had to be done to press the agenda.

Only, what in the world is a “vaccine” that neither prevents infection nor transmission of a disease? This new sort of “vaccine” could only have prospered based on a huge campaign of fear and intimidation, not to mention re-defining the very word “vaccine.”

The fascists in charge longed to make vaccine cards the first step in a Chinese-style social credit system. And, it probably would have worked if the vaccines weren’t so bad that enough people could wise up.

Yes, they really do hate you.