Discover
I Am a Pyrophyte (private feed for badhijabi@proton.me)
I Am a Pyrophyte (private feed for badhijabi@proton.me)
Author: Can we talk?
Subscribed: 0Played: 4Subscribe
Share
© Roxanne Sukhan
Description
Oh hai. I’m disimpacting my brain. This is where I have conversations with big brained + witty + cool people.
iamapyrophyte.substack.com
iamapyrophyte.substack.com
21 Episodes
Reverse
SummaryBack in June, I had a lengthy conversation with Dr. Julian Somers, a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction. I wanted to have a frank conversation with an adult about the impact of misguided addiction and mental health policies, and Julian and I did have that! Throughout our conversation, Julian highlighted the importance of community we… Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
Hello, Readers. Please go and read my feature in the New Westminster Times—it serves as the main article for this breaking story. Please also support Lorraine and Dave Brett’s endeavour to bring hard hitting independent local journalism back to Canada. The New Westminster Times does not received any government funds, it is an independent news outlet. As always you can drop a tip in my By Me a Coffee Tip Jar if you found this story helpful and want more of this kind of investigative journalism. What follows here is an article that provides supplementary information, so you can understand the real story behind the story. You will need to read both articles to really get a handle of this story. Canadian gender clinicians downplay damage they do to the brains of children with sex hormone agonist therapy, commonly called “puberty blockers”, because the suffering of the children makes it okay for them to compromise the adolescent brain. Children requesting gender affirming care (GAC) don’t have much of a clue about anatomy and biology and hormones and reproduction. They don’t understand the gravity of GAC, they lack the developmental capacity to consent. Schools facilitate social transitioning, a medical intervention, to the extent of providing breast binders. Canadian gender clinicians treat gender confused and distressed children with a GAC approach to prevent surgeries. Children don’t have gender affirming body modification surgeries in Canada. Gender distressed female children see mastectomy and menstrual suppression as the be all end all. Skeptics and anyone who questions GAC are haters spreading disinformation and gender clinicians and gender activist NGOs must fight back. I heard these ideas and lot more when I attended a webinar hosted by the Knowledge Mobilisation unit of Children’s Healthcare Canada (CHC) called Gender-Affirming Care for Youth: Essential Knowledge for Healthcare Providers, delivered by Vancouver-based paediatric endocrinologist, UBC faculty of medicine clinical professor, and award winning health care advocate Daniel Metzger. You can take a look at some of the presentation slides below; note: I think I may have missed a few slides at the beginning. The public has no access to the slides, or any information about what Metzger shared in the webinar, which will only appear on the CHC member portal. Paediatric health care institutions and non profit NGOs who support them can join the CHC. The general public has no access to the member portal, despite the fact that the endeavours promoted by the Knowledge Mobilisation Unit directly impact and involve them and their children and grandchildren. Of the 11 webinars CHC hosted last year, three focused on gender affirming care, and the association, which typically records its webinars for later viewing, recorded none of the gender webinars it hosted in 2025. Fortunately I recorded the session in its entirety for the world to hear — see the video above. What the heck is knowledge mobilisation, reader? It sounds like an obfuscatory Woko Haram term for propaganda, doesn’t it? According to their website, “Children’s Healthcare Canada’s SPARK Knowledge Mobilization Program aims to curate and showcase knowledge, evidence (from research, practice, policy, and lived experience), and expertise to SPARK conversations, ideas, and action.”Reader, how can the CHC spark conversations when they shut them down when their clandestine modus operandi and their censorious nature? The Metzger webinar moderator deliberately ignored the critical questions posed by audience members. Moderator’s privilege, she said as she picked the questions she would ask Metzger to answer, after he delivered his presentation. Is Knowledge Mobilisation (KM) a progressive term for propaganda? Yes! When we take a look at the CHC website, we see that’s exactly what KM means. Propaganda describes a form of communication designed to influence public opinion through biased, skewed, and distorted information. KM becomes propaganda when it oversimplifies complex issues with the objective of influencing opinion toward a particular belief or position. That’s exactly what the CHC has done with its GAC webinar. Gender medicine activists present very ideologically skewed information as evidence for their disembodiment body modification approach to treating psychologically and emotionally distressed children and youth. What do we know about the CHC Association? It has federal non profit status, which usually means a tax exemption. Who funds the CHC? Well, it’s unclear, because the CHC does its best to obfuscate any kind of financial accountability. CHC funding derives from a combination of philanthropic, corporate, and advocacy-driven channels. Whilst it receives no direct operational funding from the Canadian government, it actively lobbies for increased public investments in children’s healthcare. I couldn’t find any financials for the CHC, and the financial statement I could find for the CCHF didn’t reveal much. I found a list of CHC members and patrons here. Patrons of the CHC include the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Canada Children’s Hospital Foundation (CCHF), the CHEO Foundation, Children’s Health Foundation, The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, the IWK Foundation, McMaster’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, Sick Kids, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, Trillium Health Partners Foundation. The CHC has a profile on the national lobbyist registry. A recent issue of the Lobby Monitor reports the CHC as the most active lobbying group on Parliament Hill during the first week of October. In my research I did come across a list of CCHF private patrons; for fundraising, the CHC partners closely with CCHF, the largest non government funding source for child health.In summer of 2023 I wrote about the shady way that the BC government funds the sex hormone agonist Lupron, commonly referred to as “puberty blocker,” for gender confused and distressed children and adolescents. Remember, reader, that no official clinical indication exists for Lupron to a treat paediatric gender dysphoria or discordance. It’s an off-label use. AbbVie has no intention of applying to the FDA to expand the use of Lupron to include treatment of paediatric gender dysphoria. Health Canada has not officially supported the use of Lupron for paediatric gender affirming care. No official clinical indication exists, that’s what off-label means. If Lupron did prevent adolescent suicide don’t you think that the drug company would have gotten formal FDA approval for that as an official indication? If Lupron did relieve adolescent depression don’t you think that the drug company would have gotten formal FDA approval for that as an official indication? If Lupron did relieve adolescent self harm don’t you think that the drug company would have gotten formal FDA approval for that as an official indication? I’ll take things that will never happen, Alex. Reader, Lupron has a very controversial track record as a treatment for its clinical indications. The clinical trials supporting its FDA approval for Lupron have grave weaknesses. Google Dr. David Redwine. In the extensive research I conducted leading up to LupronGate, I stumbled upon a website with a wealth of crucial information about Lupron, compiled by a victim of Lupron. Among the treasures I found there, I came across a damning expert report on Lupron. “Lupron should only be limited to six injections for the initial treatment, and a retreatment should not exceed six injection. Lupron cannot be given more than twelve injections per life time.” — John Geuriguian, MD, (retired professor of pharmacology, retired Medical Officer with the US FDA), in a expert report for Karin Klein’s case against Lupron. How many doses do Metzger and his gender medicine colleagues prescribe to gender distressed children? The story about the young Swedish female adolescent, Leo, revealed that she had received 4 years worth of Lupron doses. Now she struggles with severe bone density loss that has caused spinal fracture and vertebral malformation, she lives in extreme pain. Leo received four times the recommended lifetime dose of Lupron. Leo was on the medication for four years and [her] bone density was never checked.The effects were little short of catastrophic. Leo now suffers from severe osteoporosis, a weaking of bones which is normally seen in people in their 60s and 70s. It is almost irreversible. [Her] mother says that he was in pain from skeletal damage; [s]he was constantly depressed; and [s]he attempted to commit suicide several times. — Trans narrative under fire in Sweden, Michael Cook, May 7, 2022, in BioEdgeReader, what we have here amounts to medical malpractise. I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that we face the biggest medical scandal in history. Which makes this webinar delivered by Metzger shocking and disturbing. Reader, many of the things Metzger said in this webinar echo what he said in the leaked WPATH transcripts, contained in Mia Hughes’ 2022 WPATH Files. Despite much evidence to the contrary that’s emerged since the WPATH Files, Metzger still insists on the reversibility of “puberty blockers.”Reader, should we ask Leo if the effects of her “puberty blocker” treatment have proved reversible? Here’s a recent feature from Rebel News about a young women named Rose Guerin‑Test, who found herself lured into the gender body modification cult at age 13. She had a double mastectomy at 16. She’s 21 now. Rose had insurance coverage for the double mastectomy they pressured her into at age 16, and she cannot get insurance coverage for the breast reconstruction she would like to get back what the gender cult took from her as a child. Her mother felt conflicted and thought of transitioning a mistake, the influencers on social media had more influence on Rose than her mother, and Rose made suicide threats to hasten the transition proce
SummaryIn this episode, I address a tragic incident at a street festival in Vancouver where a vehicle drove into a crowd, resulting in multiple casualties. I segue into the broader implications of mental health issues and public safety, emphasizing the need for better management of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The week in review proceeds, beginning with a historical perspectives regarding Trudeau's visit to China, continuing with political comparisons that are deemed defamatory, and the responsibilities of media in the context of foreign influence. Additionally, healthcare challenges in British Columbia are highlighted, culminating in a call to action for accountability and informed voting.Stuff I mentioned Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
I found this old French CBC documentary about Elder Trudeau’s 1973 visit to the PRC and his meeting with Mao on YouTube. It was split into four parts and I grabbed the four parts and stitched them together in Riverside FM, then used Sonix to transcribe the video compilation, and then I used Deepl to translate the French transcript en Anglais. By the way, reader, if you’re interested, you can find the 1968 edition of Two Innocents in Red China here, at the Internet Archive — I powered through all 180 pages in a Sunday afternoon, you should have no problem getting through it in a few hours. I find Two Innocents in Red China quite “interesting,” shall we say. It strikes me as very Pierre Trudeau — those of us old enough to remember him at his prime will recognise the sardonic style of his voice in the pages of this book. The book leaves me feeling naggingly discomfited. Reader, I found it off-putting. Particularly because in my youth Canadian society led me to believe in Pierre Trudeau, the mythical heroic patriarch of Canada, the man who brought the constitution home blah blah blah. Reader, when you read this book, you might come away uncertain of what to think. Resisting the urge to project your modern-day knowledge onto the people in the historical period of your study, that’s a key thing to remember when examining history. It’s damned difficult. We all want to attribute malfeasance and intentionality to historical figures in the course of our study. In particular, study of atrocity seduces us project all manner of things onto the people from the historical period—it ends up hijacking us from the rigours of historical analysis and it obscures the historical reality from emerging. It poses us a challenge to study history whilst leaving ourselves behind. Remember, human history is not an Alfred Hitchcock movie, it’s the story of deeply flawed persons, with intentions and goals and values. We can create monsters or we can document and tell story of the history of humans. Reader, these two projects are not the same. So, reader, did Trudeau know about the horrific deaths and the massive famine that plagued the Chinese people at the time of his visit? How much did people know? How much did people within China know? How much did people outside China know? How much did world leaders and statesmen know? When he visited the PRC in 1960 Trudeau had no access to the information he did as a statesman, did he? Reader, how much do you think Trudeau knew about the mass murders that took place right under his nose, in 1960? When I read Holocaust history, I frequently have to remind myself that being in the Holocaust provides a different vantage point from being outside the Holocaust decades into the future with a treasure trove of historical documentation and evidence at my fingertips. Why wouldn’t era of The Great Leap Forward Famine and Horrors prove any different? Reader, it would not. Humans are human and they hooman. Confirmation bias is not my friend. I repeat the question, reader — did Trudeau and Hebert know the full story of the human devastation they waded into in 1961? Good question. I do not have an answer, reader.“the root cause of the Great Famine was the centralized system of power at the time, that is, the government controlled all resources” — Yang JishengIn his book Tombstone, Yang Jisheng wrote that the peak of unnatural deaths of the Great Leap Forward happened in 1960, just a few months before Trudeau and Hebert would have visited. Both Jisheng and Dikkoter report that everyone who survived that period had to make some morally horrific and unimaginable choices — parents forced to bury their children alive, people resorting to cannibalism, people watched their loved ones die from intestinal blockages caused by eating white porcelain dirt. From this interview of Jisheng, with Russ Roberts, here’s the story of the death of Jisheng’s father. Jisheng’s father died of starvation during the spring of 1959, Jisheng was away at high school, 10 km away from his village. When a friend told him of his father’s unwellness, Jisheng stopped his ration of food for 3 days and took that, 1.5 kg of rice, to his father who told him to leave. Jisheng gathered some wild vegetables for his father. Jisheng didn’t know his father was dying — by the time of his visit Jisheng’s father was so affected by starvation he could not eat the food and he knew he was dying. Jisheng believed that his father’s death was an isolated incident, he had no idea his father’s death happened as part of a larger mass starvation that plagued the entire country. Jisheng didn’t know about the mass starvation until the middle of the cultural revolution, which took place between 1966 and 1976.Mao’s plan included a destruction of the family and its replacement with the commune. Mao abolished private property, his henchmen forced the destruction of the family home as the basic production unit of Chinese society. This entailed destroying individual kitchens, destroyed pots and pans and individual residential food storage capacity. It entailed forcing people to take their meals in communes. The government removed the incentive to produce, it forced unreasonably high quotas, and took the entire production yield away to be managed by the regime. The government controlled all means of production, it controlled access to all goods, including and especially food. The Mao regime set highly exaggerated estimations and quotas for all production, including agricultural outputs. The communist cadre engaged in widespread abuse of the peasantry, abusing their privileges by taking more for themselves and their families and friends. Jisheng recounts to economist Russ Roberts that in Shenyang, people could not write letters, they could not share information about the widespread starvation and horrors they experienced and witnessed. Jisheng recounted how the postal officials worked with the police and security officials to prevent the letters from being sent. As you can imagine, this all adds up to unfathomable widespread hardship. Fear and powerful indoctrination hung over the society like a Damocles’ Sword. Disagreement with the government could get a person tortured, beaten, starved, killed. Reader, I have to ask out loud — during their autumn of 1960 visit to the PRC, did Trudeau and Hebert benefit from the abuse of the communist officials taking more for themselves and depriving the people? Did Trudeau ever reflect on that possibility?Adventures of Bad Hijabi is a reader-supported publication. If you found this article useful and want to support this work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.Did Trudeau and Hebert really see no signs of these horrors during their 5 or 6 week visit to Communist China in the autumn of 1960? I know, I sound like a broken record, reader. It’s just, well, I have trouble knowing that the cunning and brilliant Pierre Trudeau knew nothing of the worst mass murder in human history when he visited the country where it happened. The PRC officials took Trudeau and Hebert on an extensive tour of the country, Trudeau and Hebert knew about communes and production quotas and they heard at length about the Mao Zedong doctrine. Can we really believe they didn’t know, reader? Still, I wonder how much of this thinking emerges from my projecting my 2025 mindset and historical knowledge onto a 1960 man. The questions don’t stop coming, reader. They beckon me. * How much did Trudeau know about these mass murders of the period of time between 1958 and 1962 that we call The Great Leap Forward, in the years that followed? * Did he know about the horrors in 1970 when he decided to initiate diplomatic relations with the PRC? * What about on his first official visit as PM of Canada, in 1973? * Did Pierre Trudeau know that he shook hands with the worst mass murderer in human history when he grinned widely for the cameras and the cadre present to witness the performance? These questions torment me, reader.Reader, when I look at Trudeau’s seeming nonchalance at the threat of Mao Zedong and PRC in 1973, in particular his characterisation of legitimate fear of the PRC as foolish, I cannot help but hear his oldest son in 2023/4 dismissing the concerns about the UFWD and the PRC’s hostile attempts to infiltrated our democratic institutions at all levels. Justin Trudeau told the country that he believes the difficulties between PRC and Canada can reach a resolution through diplomatic means. Reader, does the father speak through the son? As I have written here previously, I think we must view the LPC disregard for the seriousness of the PRC foreign interference, and the threat of the CCP itself, through the lens of Pierre Trudeau’s political vision of Communist China and Mao himself. Trudeau Goes to China :: Video Transcript :: En Français[00:00:00] Speaker1Plus de la garde portant le drapeau rouge frappé de l'étoile. Ce voyage officiel, le Canada en attendait beaucoup. On le voulait réussi sur tous les points et il commençait sous de bons augures. Il n'y avait pas que l'Est qui était rouge où que l'on posa les yeux. Panneaux et banderoles souhaitaient la bienvenue, chaleureuse au premier chef de gouvernement canadien à débarquer en terre chinoise et saluait ceux qui l'accompagnaient. Plus d'une vingtaine de hauts fonctionnaires, plus de 50 journalistes de tout le Canada, mais à l'œil ébloui de l'Occidental. Ce qui frappait d'abord sur le tarmac immense, c'était à perte de vue, la foule bigarrée, les fillettes aux 1000 voix agitant les drapeaux canadiens et chinois. Pékin, 6 millions d'habitants, la capitale du Nord. Au premier coup d'œil, une ville envahie par les bicyclettes propres et reboisées. Le contraste se dessine. Au grand hall du Peuple. Chuanli accueille son vis à vis canadien. Devant la presse avec qui il a auparavant plaisanté sur son grand âge, il a 75 ans, qui l'empêche de se rendre au Canada. À cette table officielle siégeront d'ab
SummaryThe Week In Review for the week ending April 20th, 2025. "The United Front, Useful Idiot Premiers, & Regime Media Meltdowns". With a special guest appearance by Sharkey, my uterus stuffie. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
SummaryThere is no video this week, due to circumstances beyond my control. Video capabilities will return next Sunday. This episode provides a review of this week’s stories. I spent the 90 minutes reviewing key points from the stories that hit the news regarding the apparent marriage between the Liberal Party of Canada and the Chinese Communist Party. Links to Stuff I Mentioned Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
SummaryIn this episode, Bad Hijabi discusses the current political landscape in Canada, focusing on the upcoming elections and the controversies surrounding foreign interference, particularly from China. Bad Hiabji opens the episode with highlights from the case of Paul Chiang, and The Bounty Hunter Scandal. Bad Hijabi touches on the role of media, the need for a foreign agent registry, and the implications of misinformation and transnational repression in Canada. Bad Hijabi delves into the pressing issues of foreign interference in Canada, particularly focusing on the threats posed by the People's Republic of China (PRC). She critiques government reports on foreign interference, highlighting the dissatisfaction among diaspora communities regarding the lack of concrete solutions. Bad Hijabi includes an emphasis of the role of authoritarian regimes in disinformation campaigns and the vulnerabilities of diaspora communities. Bad Hijabi scrutinizes Mark Carney's ties to China and the implications for Canadian national security, while urging listeners to navigate election discourse critically amidst misinformation. Also in this episode, Bad Hijabi discusses various themes surrounding Mark Carney's career, including his tenure as the Governor of the Bank of Canada, his involvement in climate initiatives, and the controversies surrounding his actions during the Freedom Convoy. Bad Hijabi also touches on the implications of Carney's corporate strategies, his departure from Brookfield, and the ongoing debate about gender identity and political accountability. Throughout the conversation, Bad Hijabi emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and the dangers of fake news and propaganda narratives in the political discourse.Correction NotesAt 09:43 I mentioned Bank of Canada, when I should have said Bank of England. At 10:30 I mentioned Bank of Canada, when I should have said People’s Bank of China.At 1:07:045 I said Van Hewan and should have said Van Weenan, referring to the list of people who are subject to surveillance when a particular person is targeted for surveillance by law enforce and intelligence aka government spy agencies. At 1:23:38 I said CPP and should have said CCP.At 1:27:18 I said Bank of Canada and should have said Bank of England.At 1:28:07 I said that you’ve done and should have said that’s been done.At 1:32:11 I said million and should have said billion.At 1:34:24 I said Bank of Canada and should have said Bank of England.Links to Stuff I MentionedHere are the articles I wrote last week, which I mentioned in the episode. There are no daily notes this week because these articles serve as the notes for the week. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
SummaryIn this episode of Adventures with Bad Hijabi, the host discusses various political and social issues, including the controversial reactions an issue of The Economist called Israel’s Hubris, reflections on personal and political engagement, the quest for peace amidst protests, critiques of media and political figures, and the implications of gender ideology. The conversation also touches on the importance of community, personal growth, and the challenges of navigating cultural commentary and conspiracy theories in today's society.The week in review March 30th podcastSunday — election writ dropped. Carney is a Catholic and the Holy See opposes gender ideology. Pro Israel people wanting war and division and refusing to acknowledge Netanyahu regime failures. Netanyahu wants to fire his AG for disloyalty.Good of the one versus good of the many?Maimonides and hostage ransom. Cairo Genizah.Monday — last Hebrew beginners class.Campaign trail. Carney and French debate. Boilermakers union supports CPC. Gregor Robertson running as a liberal in my riding. Avi Nayyar is the conservative candidate. Yes, I did sign up to volunteer today. Bibi abandons hostages and pro Israel Hasbara cult does also. UBC Hamastinians on strike because why? Leaked letter from law society re 215 hoax.Tuesday — Netanyahu useful idiots can’t forgive the left, (Substack essay). Boo hoo. The right versus left political drama is stupid and boring. Hamdam Ballal. The bloke threw stones at some big tough IDF soldiers so they had to beat him and chain him up all night?Fcuk off, you goons. Go to hell. You’re all fcukd in the head.Palestinians protesting against Hamas.The italics below is what I could piece together from my crude translation of the Hebrew subtitles of Arabic speaker leading the protest:We want to convey a message on our behalf.from the people living at home to herthat we want peaceHouse to her the symbol to/from peace we demand peace and insurance to the place this not they say not to burn the fire and the war instead of this we that need these to decide we live under very difficult conditions we will decide who will rule in our city and prevent tank who tries to destroy you our future here therefore everyone stand togetherBreathe no man can sufferAnd kill and eliminate you what is here we they say yes peace no to power of tyranny threatening peaceenough destructionenough heatget up to liveMore protests planned. No mention of hostages.Globe and Mail publishes an election interference. “The Globe is the Century Initiative’s official media partner. It is run by Mark Carney’s advisor, Mark Wiseman, and is partially funded by Power Corporation - run by Carney’s top donors who also lead the Canada China Business Council. Foreign interference is alive and well.” — Andy LeeMark Carney speaking about Montreal Massacre survivor who’s one of his candidates — “Speaking of his candidate Nathalie Provost, Mark Carney misspells her name by calling her "Nathalie Pronovost" before stating that she committed herself to social justice after the Concordia shooting - a confusion, since it was actually the Polytechnique tragedy.” — Hadi Hassin“It's almost impossible to confuse the Polytechnique shooting of 1989 and the Concordia shooting of 1992 if you have spent any amount of time in Canada or paid any attention to Canadian affairs in the past third of a century. I'll just leave it at that.” — Yuan Yi Zhu“Watch Mark Carney, Mark Wiseman, the Globe and Mail promote their plan “The Century Initiative”. A club of friends advancing a dangerous idea for Canada. The Globe and Mail has been hosting sponsored events by the Century Initiative for years. The Century Initiative is Mark Wiseman’s lobbying group advocating to radically increase Canada’s population to 100 million people. Mark Carney has appointed Wiseman as one of his advisors. One group pushing a radical idea.” — Chris WarkentinFrom Poilievre— “BREAKING: In September, Mark Carney officially became the Chair of Trudeau's Task Force on Economic Growth. In October, Carney met with the Deputy Director of the People's Bank of China. Just two weeks later, news broke that Brookfield secured a quarter billion dollar loan from the Chinese state-owned bank. Now he owes a hostile foreign regime. And his interests are against Canada’s interests. Why won’t he reveal to Canadians all his conflicts?” Carney under investigation by US House Judiciary Committee for anti trust violations re: GFANZ climate cartel. Bruce Anderson doesn’t own National Newswatch he writes columns in that publication and he is a well known pollster AND helped Carney enter politics. Graham Murray was a democratically chosen candidate for Central Nova riding and Carney deposed him for Sean Fraser.Via Kyle Kemper Bilderberg Group instrumental in getting Carney the PM position.Bilderberg meeting Carney and liberal cabinet ministers. “Then there is Carney’s Bilderberg connection. Founded in the Netherlands in the 1950s, the Bilderberg Group is ostensibly merely a top careerist’s mutual aid society –nothing more than the Freemasons on steroids. Carney is officially acknowledged to have attended the most recent Bilderberg meeting, which is interesting as the British finance minister George Osborne, who appointed him to the Bank of England job, is an avid Bilderberger.” — Forbes 2012Wednesday — I awoke up with a strong desire to join a faith community. I went for a walk and then was locked out of my building when the fob system broke down. The case of Mohamad Al Ballouz took up my day. The Lord of War movie which we watched Tuesday. Rabbi Fohrman book and trees in the creation myth.Thursday — The PM is a member of a Vatican committee on inclusive capitalism. He has said that he won’t let his Catholic faith dictate government policy but he will use it to help others. When asked about abortion. It’s weird how Catholics care about the unborn more than the women who gestate and birth them. Pro birth is not pro life, as Sr Joan Chittiser has said.Anti Hamas protests continue in Gaza. Hamas blames the protests for the failure of the peace talks that Israel already abandoned. Useful western idiots and Kahanists and Hamasniks are hindering peace and the hostage release.Financial Post — “Two large Canadian institutional investors, Brookfield Asset Management and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, are part of a consortium paying US$10.1 billion for a 49 per cent stake in a pipeline subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the largest infrastructure deal in the world this year.”Amy Hamm fired from VCH after 13 years without severance.“The CBC attacking Poilievre for holding Vanguard ETFs is the funniest thing I've seen all day” — Jamie Saronik“Poilievre owns some shares of a Vanguard index fund of Canadian equities, 3.5% of which is invested in Brookfield. Carney was the literal chair of Brookfield. This is like comparing a guy who owns a vial of sand to a guy who, until yesterday, directed a beachfront property empire” — Saronik“Brookfield Asset Management confirms that former Chairman Mark Carney is on a temporary leave. Temporary? Does this mean that when he loses the election he will dump the Liberals like he dumped the nominated Liberal candidate in NS so that Sean Fraser could do a 180 and rerun?” — Doug BoswellIt turns out to be satire from Stephen Taylor.Louise Penny Best-selling Quebec author cancels U.S. trip, donates to library on Canada-U.S. border. The Black Wolf is the 20th mystery in the Armand Gamache series and it’s published by St Martin’s Press— St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under six imprints.Friday — carney PhD thesis plagiarism. NaPoChina election interference.“China has been mobilizing voters, especially those in ridings with a high concentration of Chinese Canadians, to vote for China-friendly candidates. It purportedly assisted in the campaign of Chiang to defeat a highly popular Conservative incumbent in the 2021 election.”— Toronto Association for Democracy in China“Canadian Liberal Party candidate calls for his conservative opponent to be kidnapped to the PRC consulate for a PRC bounty on his head”Saturday — Carney says nothing about one of his candidates calling for the kidnapping of his opponent for a hostile foreign power. Doug Ford sabotaging the election so that Carney wins. West versus East hostility is very high.Conspiracy theories about Trump Kushner Carney and Brookfield.“Let me be crystal clear here: that’s not just inappropriate. That’s not just “deplorable.” That’s language lifted directly from the Chinese Communist Party’s playbook. Joe Tay is on a real bounty list. Not fantasy. Not fiction. A real HK$1 million bounty placed on his head by the Hong Kong police for supporting democracy and speaking out against tyranny. And what happens when a Canadian MP echoes that threat—on Canadian soil? Nothing.” — Brian Lilley (Sunday am)Hamas violently suppresses protests.Disclosure: Late September, days before October 7, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Galant authorize the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and heads of Shin Bet departments to travel to Cairo to promote the arrangement with Hamas and achieve peace in the Gaza Strip, with riots on the fence in the background. This happens while Hamas is finishing its preparations for an attack on Israel. — Omri ManivLinks to Stuff I MentionedBilderberg GroupLukas Kantor talks about his research on the myserious Bilderberg GroupLord of War Roger Ebert reviewThe Beast That Crouches at the Door by Rabbi David FohrmanCarney’s work at the Vatican re: “inclusive capitalism”Sr Joan Chittiser on pro birth versus pro lifeSylvie Geurtin tries to rebuild her life after Al Ballouz killed her daughter and grandsonsAdve
SummaryIn this episode of A Bad Hijabi Walked Into a Room and Laughed, Bad Hijabi discusses several topics, ranging from women's rights and cultural commentary to the failures of academia and personal reflections on gender politics. Bad Hijabi also touches on current events, including Israeli hostage situation and the political dynamics surrounding the hostages and their families, as well as the exploitation of vulnerable individuals in public discourse. Your hostess shares insights from a recent lecture on legal measures against antisemitism and concludes with personal anecdotes about daily life. In this conversation, Bad Hijabi touches on a few themes, including personal social media behaviour and consumption, the challenges faced by progressives in expressing their views, the implications of gender identity on society, and the need to prioritize domestic issues over foreign conflicts. Bad Hijabi critiques the current political landscape, emphasizing the importance of cultural identity and the role of myths in shaping societal values. The conversation also covers on the impact of social media on personal growth and the dangers of groupthink.The week in review March 23rd podcastSunday — Azelia Banks and JK Rowling. KaiyaVilla and JK Rowling ( “he didn’t beat you enough”).Monday — Doctor gets deported from the USA for supporting Hezbollah. DEI academia at Virginia University talking about armed resistance and how a gun means the oppressed is free. Academia is a cult of subversion and hatred—higher education is not higher anymore. Bibi wants to fire the head of Shin Bet. Ireland is cancelled because it doesn’t welcome Zionists so eff saint paddy’s day. St Gertrude feast day she’s the patron saint of cats. Shlomo’s 87th birthday today so everyone have ice cream. Book Madwoman in the Rabbi’s Attic is frustrating and painful and riveting. Carney meets the king before he meets parliament or Trump. He’s like a teenager getting the keys to his new Ferrari. Netanyahu chooses Ben Gvir over the hostages. Ceasefire is over and Gaza is getting bombed. Hamas threatens to harm the hostages. Reports coming out that hostage families have been threatened to stay quiet or their family members will be harmed.Tuesday — Hostage survivors and families oppose war. Hasbara assholes monger for war. “Let’s win this sh1t” — Eve Barlow. Barlow was challenged by some Israeli men.“Everyone in israel opposes war doesn't change the fact we have to fight one. We aren't the ones who started this on October 7, Gazans did.” — Emily Schrader“Netanyahu for his personal reasons is endangering living hostages in Gaza endangering lives of IDF soldiers for his personal throne as PM Netanyahu again is betraying the Israeli nation.” — Yehuda Cohen.Gila Fine Off The Daf Book Club. I cried when I first heard her speak. She verbalises the struggle I feel so articulately. It doesn’t comfort me and I don’t think I want to be comforted I want to be treated like an intelligent human being. Sasha Carney and Elston’s the anti wokerati’s flying monkeys.Mark Sandler Using the Law to Combat Zionism — the four measures of hate in criminal code; there are more legal ways to address the antisemitism — intimidation and blocking roads etc; private property ____; unlawful assembly; hate speech versus protected speech; freedom of assembly and speech protected under charter robust criticism of Israeli government conduct IHRA definition. Zionist used as a proxy for Jew in hate speech and expression does it immunise anyone from criminal prosecution. Demonise people for a supporting Israel and supporting Zionism.What is contemporary antisemitism? Apart from the traditional tropes. Resistance to the IHRA definition because it addresses of anti Zionism as a form of antisemitism. Non criminal litigation (similar to Harvard lawsuits). Dealing with jihadists and terrorists in our midst. Education is important to move minds which are humane and want to seek collaborative solutions. Respectful dialogue in the discourse led by skilled lawyers. Combatting ignorance about what’s happening to address antisemitism and what’s being discussed and taught and shared about Zionism and Jewish self determination and to combat the indoctrination happening at all levels of pedagogy.Start with Municipal policy makers. Bubble legislation is needed and it’s not unconstitutional. Ban hatefests on municipal property. Example Quds Festival. Minimal intrusive constitutionally permitted policy.Provincial government.Federal government consistency in addressing antisemitism.Charges are being laid we don’t hear about it.Create political will to do the right thing and address antisemitism.Lawfare to address failure of municipality to protect the Jewish community from hate and hate festival.Could the IHRA definition be used as a measure to fight antisemitism to inform whether charges are to be laid?Canadian government has adopted IHRA.How can we employ the IHRA definition?We are playing whackamole. There is a lot of hate.NECA and Queens University re BDS and divestment from Israel. Academic neutrality and freedom. New report and decision from Queens University.Discussion paper re defunding colleges and universities — Sandler. Measured or conditional funding to address college indoctrination and hate.Q. Is a Screenshot evidence of social media hate?A. Yes it is.How do we address social media hate? Task force is being formed. Challenge of jurisdiction. International presence. Tracing financial support for social media and hate activism. Follow the Money Michael Bass. Work is being done to reveal transparency for financing higher education from foreign financing. Montreal is the most problematic jurisdiction. Lack of political will. Private complaints. Education and training. Montreal police need education. Anti Palestinian racism versus IHRA.Wednesday — seeing the words “tiny sandwiches” on the Easter Sunday tea notice in the elevator made me want a tuna subway sandwich. Consent is on my brain. People really feel entitled to make a 24 year old poet and writer the symbol of the gender debate in Canada because she’s the child of the PM who wrote about her identity blah blah. It’s weird.Duties of the Heart and prayer and longing of the soul for g-d ...yedid nefeshRobert using his day off to do things for others when he won’t do things for me that I ask him. Going out, riding the bus with anxiety. Unable to go inside Metrotown. Safeway and Majid the clerk who was nice. The Uber driver Feguin was nice. Aleph Beta golden calf series overnight.Thursday — progressives are whinging that they cannot speak freely for their cause célèbre…boo hoo. Women are fcuking angry at you dumb fcuks so cope with the system you created and enabled through your silence. I loathe progressive men and when you’ve told me my criticism of wokeness is hateful and unfriended me you definitely don’t get to address me under the cover of a public comment in a mutual friend’s Facebook page. Piss off because when you decided I was a hateful person you forever lost my ear and the privilege to address me.Carney is gonna drop the writ we are hearing. Conservatives assholes still want to make Sasha Carney a symbol of what they dislike about gender self id and gender affirming care. The Israeli ambassador to somewhere thinks he can put the Israeli Netanyahu regime’s sh1t on everyone else’s ass. Eve Barlow misguidedly thinks Israeli men calling out her asshole war mongering tweet out is misogyny. Because naturally when you’re challenged on stupid sh1t you say publicly the thing to do is invoke victimhood. Yawn. Generally eff victimhood narrative management and narcissism.Tesla being vandalized and set on fire by social justice warriors and environmentalists because Elon.Friday — I don’t want to don’t care about foreign politics because I want to care about my own national political situation. These two are at odds right now. I don’t want to be held accountable for things I don’t influence or control. I don’t influence or control any MENA Region policies or politics. I have a vote in one country and that’s Canada. And I am responsible for my people — that’s primarily the Jewish community across Canada because they are under attack. It’s the Christian community across Canada because they are under attack and several of my family members are Christian, churches are being razed and Christians are being wrongfully accused of genocide like the Jewish people are. We have CCP and IRGC and we have American interference. Canadians are being brow beaten by all sides and we are living under a tyrannical authoritarian regime who hates us and wants to bleed us dry. I don’t care about any country beyond NA borders right now because I have to consider home first. It’s not rocket science.The exploitation of antisemitism education and anti racism education to promote foreign interference propaganda is a liability for all. It’s absolutely not antisemitism education to exploit hostage suffering and rip hostage content to make domestic political theatre against pro Palestinian activists and monger for a war the Israeli people don’t want and then pretend it’s pro Jewish and pro hostage and pro Israeli. Fcuk off.Carney canceled Capital Gains Tax. Except he’s cancelled a thing that died on the order table and the CRA was being legally challenged for its decision to continue the tax hike without a parliamentary mandate. Nothing-burger, sleight of hand politicking. Similar to signing the fake EO to cancel the consumer carbon tax.Eli Sharabi UN addressSaturday — I took a break from my phone and from social media for Shabbat and it felt like a good break. Zach Ross wrote a thing on Substack about how Jews and Muslims aren’t Abrahamic siblings, ie he says that “nah, Muslims aren’t descended from Ishmael”, historical evidence doesn’t support that claim. Ok, willing I think that’s besides the point, we don’t go to sacred myths to learn history. For all that I could say that there’s n
SummaryIn this episode of A Bad Hijabi Walked Into a Room and Laughed, Bad Hijabi shares her personal journey through spirituality, language learning, and cultural observations. She discusses her experiences with Tehillim classes, the significance of Hebrew, and insights from Rabbi David Fohrman's teachings. Bad Hijabi delves into contemporary issues such as cultural appropriation, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the impact of gossip and celebrity culture on society. Throughout the episode, Bad Hijabi emphasizes the importance of individual thought and the complexities of human relationships. Bad Hijabi explores various themes including the essence of prayer as self-examination, the complexities of immigration laws and free expression, the nature of targeted harassment, and the ongoing debates surrounding gender ideology. She reflects on the literary portrayal of women, the political theater in Canada, and the historical context of race and religion. Throughout, she emphasizes the importance of personal integrity and the need for activism that respects humanity.The week in review March 16th podcast — My NotesMonday — Tehillim study group; Hebrew class; indigenous people appropriating Arab culture to wage their domestic political theatrics. Gossip is murder. Arabs have been massacring Jews for much of history. Triangulation of issues and people in public discourse. Not I am not arguing with knobs that anti Zionism is not dangerous Jew hate.Tuesday — Mahmoud Khalil in NYC. Mahmoud Khalil in Montreal. Not the same person. Both inciting hate and trying to bring a foreign country down and both instigating violence resistance specifically against Jews and generally against all westerners. Hostage families at the Begin Bridge in Tel Aviv. Rabbi Fohrman’s seminar course. Judgement serves compassion. The appropriation of the word Indian Indians are from India and Columbus was wrong get over it. The Rohirrim LoTR movie we watched.Wednesday — people who are members of organized religions behaving like self superior cliques irritate me. Outside the Camp. Prayer and when you shouldn’t pray. Madwoman in the Attic. A green card holder is a foreign national with a resident permit. Subject to immigration laws. Free Expression has limits. Conduct matters. Words carry weight. Targeted harassment is not activism it’s assholery — terf gleefully stalking FJ in an airport.Thursday — Kemper and Carney and Trudeau not related. The MENA region feudal and holy crusades annoys me. Fcuk this fixation and glorification of ethnocentrism. Race is made up and we aren’t gonna start governing society based on Hitler’s vision for humanity and if you think we should be espousing Hitler and Goebbels world view then you’re a fcuking idiot. Amy Hamm V BCCNM—in BC a registered nurse can steal drugs from their narcotics drawer to get high but she can’t say men aren’t women. Queen Esther’s story and Purim.Friday — Carney sworn in. Leaned cabinet with notable absences. No more WAGE! Woot. Carney signs a fake executive order claiming to axe the carbon tax and the media carries the lie that he terminated the tax.Saturday — Netanyahu refuses to be investigated for October 7th. He refuses the deal and won’t move to phase 2. Israelis gathering at the Begin Bridge/Gate in a stunning and moving display of solidarity and opposition to their government. The OIC in the late afternoon, the dated today 15.3, the day after Carney fake signed something he pretended was an OIC.Links of Stuff I MentionedTehillim aka Psalms onlineMy Jewish Learning Biblical Hebrew CourseLee Weissman Jewish Educator weekly study groupsSefaria Jewish Texts OnlineAleph Beta Torah OnlineWe Are All Hostages on InstagramBring Them Home online ShoppeLeviathan on XwitterMustafa Akyol Reopening the Muslim MindTerry Glavin The Real StoryRohirrim the animated filmQueen Esther and Purim the storyMegillah 2025, on My Jewish Learning, Rabbi Moshe SteigmannMadwoman in the Rabbi’s Attic, Koren PublishingOff the Daf Bookclub via My Jewish Learning, a bi-monthly book clubDo Not Pray if Your Heart is Not in It, Talmud Tractate Berakhot 30bKings and Generals YouTube Channel, military history videosMark Carney Prime Minister of Canada, Canada websiteLupronGate, a lengthy study of Puberty Blocker and Gender Affirming CareNetanyahu Chooses China, blocking the case against Bank of China, on Tablet Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
We recorded this episode in February, when Lee was reading E. O. Wilson's work on the sociobiology of ants and he couldn't help noticing that the Borg are essential ants, the function like a hive - the Borg function like a super organism. In this episode we have a discussion about eusociality, how humans are wired for co-operation, and how, unlike the Borg or ants or bees, humans have a social brain, we have "an ethics programnme" and that impacts the way we behave as individuals in a collective.Show Notes Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
Oh hai, it’s hot out innit? We decided that, after recording a batch of 9+ episodes, we need to take a bit of a summer break to chill, to get some things done we have put off (ahem Lee is moving, closing up and preparing his California house for sale and moving his book collection across the country to DC, and it’s a big drag and he’s not having a great time, poor boo), and to observe the world of conflict and think about the next podcast season! So, I will keep you entertained by throwing up old Trekkie episodes we recorded earlier this year. This is a three way conversation between Lee, Robert and I. We haven’t recorded new episodes because Lee and Robert have opposed schedules and there’s no possibility to get together to record anymore until something changes. Anyway enjoy this discussion about a primordial spider at the edge of the universe offering comfort to a solitary human. Adventures of Bad Hijabi is a reader-supported publication. Please subscribe. We appreciate your support 💋. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
I did this episode without Lee, who could not make the call. I found this exchange interesting, I appreciated the intellectual push back. I talked too much! Justin and I disagree about the role of the internet in distorting human behaviour. At one point in the exchange he used the example of a book being an object that doesn’t have power until we bestow power onto it with a story. Practically speaking that’s true. The thing we call Quran is just a book. So is the Bible. So is Satanic Verses. People wage violence over these three inanimate objects. Salman Rushdie is missing an eye because of the inanimate object entitled Satanic Verses. Set a book containing the Quran on fire because it’s just a stupid book and see how some lose their sh1t. I think it’s very difficult to make the kind of distinction Justin makes and expect that others also do in certain contexts. We aren’t at that point where people can see the world like this, because, as Justin himself said toward the end, people simply aren’t at the point where they sit and think about how their body responds to their world around them, to the information they receive, etc. I disagree with Justin wholeheartedly about the internet as a neutral entity, I think the Conversation has merit nonetheless. Would that people could see the internet servers as simply nodes or hubs that link us together, not its own trippy domain where everyone is simultaneously accessible and distanced from each other forever. I have only respect for Justin, and I appreciated his way of leading me to be specific about word choices I made and the meanings I assume. The purpose of this podcast is to get you to think, not tell you what to think. This is the first of a few podcast Conversations we will have with people about the Vagus Nerve. The interesting thing to take away from Episode 2 is that there is no short cut or hack. There is showing up for yourself every day and turning the fly wheel of you, by checking in and doing the things. In the next episode Lee says the same thing in different words through a different lens. Lee admits that he struggles to be a baseline good person, it takes work daily and the journey often serves as its own lesson. The path to God is through making peace with oneSelf is what I get from reflecting on these two exchanges. Justin has his own website and online community where he provides education about polyvagal theory for the average person who is uninterested in psychobabble and wants to understand themselves and live their best life. He provides free content and access to a paid online community experience. Justin is not full of horsesh1t, he is a solid punk-like dude, I have high mistrust of the world of therapists and therapy and Justin wins my trust because of his demonstrated character track record. You can check out his stuff below, you can find him on IG and his podcast is an essential, it’s called Stuck Not Broken. Total Access Membership of trauma recovery courses and community. Free ebook, "Trauma & the Polyvagal Paradigm" when you sign up for my email list - Learn the Polyvagal Theory simply and for free - Free Polyvagal IntroBelow is an AI-generated summary and the conversation transcript.Show NotesSummary :: Justin and I explore the impact of technology, social media, and information consumption on our mental health and social connections. We delve into the role of polyvagal theory in gaining an understanding trauma and human behaviour and “mental illness”. My main goal was to discuss the implications of social exclusion and the manipulation of information on the human nervous system, in particular the Vagus Nerve. Our discussion touches on the evolution of information access and the influence of digital platforms on our emotional responses and social interactions. We delve into the impact of emotional manipulation in media, the importance of self-awareness in navigating information, and the role of the nervous system in regulating emotions and behaviors. Our conversation emphasizes the power of curiosity, self-observation, and understanding one's internal state. We touch on the significance of recognizing and responding to one's emotional and physiological needs.Keywords :: technology, social media, mental health, polyvagal theory, trauma, social exclusion, information manipulation, digital platforms, emotional responses, social interactions, emotional manipulation, self-awareness, nervous system, emotional regulation, curiosity, self-observation, internal state, emotional needsTakeaways* The impact of technology and social media on mental health and social connections* Understanding trauma and mental health through polyvagal theory* The implications of social exclusion and the manipulation of information* The evolution of information access and the influence of digital platforms on emotional responses and social interactions Emotional manipulation in media can impact individuals' perceptions and responses to information.* Self-awareness and understanding one's internal state are crucial in navigating the information era.* The nervous system plays a significant role in regulating emotions and behaviors.* Curiosity and self-observation can empower individuals to recognize and respond to their emotional and physiological needs.Ai Generated Titles* Implications of Social Exclusion and Information Manipulation* Understanding Trauma and Mental Health through Polyvagal TheorySound Bites* "The internet is just the internet. It doesn't do anything. It's just there. It's the people that are manipulating algorithms and whatnot. The internet is just the internet. That's like saying a book distorts how you think because you're reading what's inside and because of the person who wrote what's in there."Chapters00:00 The Impact of Technology on Mental Health and Social Connections02:49 Understanding Trauma and Mental Health through Polyvagal Theory07:01 Implications of Social Exclusion and Information ManipulationTranscriptBad Hijabi (00:00.627)Okay, now we're recording. Okay, well, let's tell everyone who you are because maybe they don't know and tell them all about, you know, what you do and stuff.Justin Sunseri (00:01.966)I've done it too.Justin Sunseri (00:06.102)I've done it too, it sucks.Justin Sunseri (00:17.646)Now it's not organic anymore.It was having fun there. I'm Justin, Justin Sincere. Hi, I'm a therapist and I specialize in polyvagal theory, which is a neuroscience stuff and how that applies to trauma, mental health. And yeah, that's me. That's me. Hi.Bad Hijabi (00:39.859)Yeah, I found Justin on Instagram, I think. Like, I'm not on Instagram anymore because it hurts my nervous system. But that was several years ago when I was like on every social media platform. And it's just so weird. And once in a while, we would have DMs and stuff you would like you're an artist too, right? You're like an a quite an artist or you used to be.Justin Sunseri (00:49.23)Okay.Justin Sunseri (01:04.878)not as much as I used to be, but yeah, yeah.Bad Hijabi (01:07.187)Like I remember seeing your artwork and at that time I was sharing my art and you are also into like typography and graphic design and stuff. You're kind of like one of the punk DIY. I mean, I sort of think of punk as being like DIY, like F you and doing everything myself sort of. You sort of strike me as that kind of struck me as that kind of person. That's kind of like we hit it off in the DMS and stuff. Also.Justin Sunseri (01:15.598)Yeah.Justin Sunseri (01:25.87)That's very much me.very much.Justin Sunseri (01:34.158)That's what I'm facing right now. I'm wrapping up my first book and I'm like, now it's time to start designing the actual pages. I probably couldn't hire someone because it costs so much, but regardless, I needed this myself. I want to, I have to, I must, and I'll get some fulfillment out of it. So that, yeah, 100 % with you, yeah.Bad Hijabi (01:54.131)Yeah, so what I also really like, excuse me about Justin is he is not full of shit. He is not like full of psycho babble horse shit. Sorry, sometimes I swear. And so yeah, like when I hear the psycho babble and you actually have that thing, that word on your thing, you have like, yeah, there's no psycho babble. Like, I'm like, okay. Like my background is I was a nurse.I worked in like everywhere, but I started out like in psychiatry. So like, I, you know, worked in the asylum for my like practicum and like sat in the room with the assessments. And I was like on the acute or with the leg read the very, very, very, sick patients and stuff. and like, I just, you know, I don't know, I just have all sorts of views about that whole scene and stuff.So I like how you are like, not like, you're like, okay, what's happening? And so like, that's how come like, like I even started to talk to you and listen to you and even get even to find out what I think it was through you that I found out about polyvagal theory, because I was like going through menopause and my parents were dying and every my life's falling apart and everything was just like awful. And I was like, okay.Like, this is other psychiatry stuff's not where you're going. I don't want to do that. So like, i need a solution? So like, what's happening? So like, because you know, this is what you do. You try to figure out when your computer's broken, once go, what's happening? So I just needed to fix to use a metaphor. It's like, what's going on on the motherboard? How does this thing work? So that's how I sort of got curious about it. Like, you know,Justin Sunseri (03:28.494)Hmm.Justin Sunseri (03:34.67)Yeah.Did you realize that it wasn't an issue of being broken though? Hey!Bad Hijabi (03:40.595)Yeah, and then you were like stuck, not broken. And you even, I remember before you changed the name, you had some other name for your podcast, which yeah. And then you changed it to that because yes, it's not a matter of being broken or defective or like disordered or whatever. It's just y
SummaryIn this first of a series of conversations about masculinity I will be having with me, I chat with Tyler. We explore the impact of upbringing and the absence of a father figure on one's perception of masculinity. Our chat delves into the challenges faced by individuals who have experienced childhood abuse and the differential treatment within abusive families. The importance of male role models and the need for support, protection, and teaching in masculinity are discussed. We addresses the negative perception of patriarchy and the cultural perspectives on masculinity. The evasion of responsibility in society and the lack of confrontation and directness are examined. The influence of wealth and privilege on masculinity is explored, along with the comparison between residential schools and boarding schools. Our conversation explores the challenges of political leadership, the impact of gender weighing on society, and the anti-female nature of transgender ideology. We talked about the role of Kim Campbell in judicial appointments and the dictatorial leadership of Justin Trudeau. The chapters highlight the need for businessmen in politics, the punishment for acting on values, and the language war surrounding gender. Our session concludes with a discussion on the dehumanizing effects of gender equity and the failure of gender neutrality. We explore various themes related to gender identity, masculinity, and the distortion of societal norms. We talk about the importance of embracing biological sex and the harm of denying the reality of male and female bodies. We touch on the weakness of men who support ideologies predicated on avoidance of male biological reality and the need for men to exercise restraint in finding balance and reject hypermasculinity. We delved into the impact of puberty blockers on children and the denial of their sexual experiences. We touch on the historical abuse of women and children in medical experiments and the unlikelihood of justice for those responsible. Overall, our conversation emphasizes the importance of embracing one's physical biological reality and the need for struggle and responsibility in childhood.Takeaways* The absence of a father figure can significantly impact one's perception of masculinity and upbringing.* Childhood abuse can have long-lasting effects on individuals and their relationships.* Support, protection, and teaching are essential tenets of masculinity.* The negative perception of patriarchy overlooks the positive aspects it has contributed to society.* The evasion of responsibility and the lack of confrontation hinder personal growth and societal progress.* Wealth and privilege can influence one's understanding and experience of masculinity.* Residential schools and boarding schools have different contexts but share similarities in their impact on individuals. The political infrastructure needs businessmen to bring fresh perspectives and challenge the status quo.* Acting on values can result in punishment and backlash, making it difficult for individuals to enter politics.* The language war surrounding gender creates division and hinders meaningful discussions.* Gender weighing and transgender ideology have an anti-female nature and can lead to the erasure of women's rights and experiences. Embrace and acknowledge the importance of biological sex.* Reject hypermasculinity and exercise restraint as a sign of strength.* Children should be allowed to experience their sexual development and not be denied the profound neural modulator of sexuality.* The distortion of masculinity and the weakness of men who support transgender ideology are harmful to society.* Children should be given the opportunity to face challenges and develop resilience.Adventures of Bad Hijabi is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, to hear more conversations like this one, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.Chapters00:00 Background and Upbringing01:19 Lack of Father Figure03:29 Childhood Abuse and its Effects04:52 Differential Treatment in Abusive Families06:29 Parenting and Self-Reflection07:35 The Importance of Male Role Models09:20 Challenges Faced by Men in Society11:10 Masculinity as Support, Protection, and Teaching14:26 The Negative Perception of Patriarchy16:25 Cultural Perspectives on Masculinity23:06 The Evasion of Responsibility in Society25:14 The Lack of Confrontation and Directness28:26 The Inconsistencies in Political Leadership30:59 The Influence of Upbringing on Masculinity33:11The Impact of Wealth and Privilege on Masculinity35:43 Residential Schools and Boarding Schools36:20 The Lack of Accountability in Privileged Individuals36:32 The Need for Businessmen in Politics37:14 Building Political Infrastructure37:57 The Challenges of Leadership38:25 Punishment for Acting on Values39:11 The Language War40:04 The Catholic Church and Gender Weighing41:16 Living a Normal Life with Gender Weighing41:47 The Impact on Women43:00 Forcing Gender Ideology43:35 The Anti-Female Nature of Gender Weighing45:05 The Impact on Autistic Individuals46:19 The Influence of Gender Weighing on Society48:04 Political Appointments and Bias49:14 Kim Campbell's Role in Judicial Appointments50:23 Kim Campbell's Political Legacy52:05 Trudeau's Dictatorial Leadership52:43 The Hypocrisy of Transgender Ideology54:20 The Anti-Female Nature of Gender Weighing55:00 The Synthetic Nature of Transgenderism56:23 The Predatory Behaviour of Transgender Individuals58:01 The Dehumanizing Effects of Gender Equity01:00:19 The Inauthenticity of Transgender Women01:02:14 The Failure of Gender Neutrality01:03:08 The Lysenkoism of Gender Ideology01:05:16 The Limitations of Legal Recognition01:05:56 The Importance of Embracing Biological Sex01:06:54 The Distortion of Masculinity01:07:26 The Power of Restraint01:07:54 Rejecting Hypermasculinity01:08:18 Mediocre Men in Sports01:09:22 The Importance of Physical Fitness for Men01:10:19 The Journey from Boyhood to Manhood01:11:08 The Harm of Puberty Blockers01:12:08 Denying Children the Experience of Sexuality01:13:13 Teaching Children that Sexuality is the Enemy01:14:08 The Importance of Embracing One's Body01:15:08 The Need for Comprehensive Therapy Before Transitioning01:16:23 The Distortion of Science and Studies01:18:39 The Historical Abuse of Women and Children01:20:23 The Weakness of Men Who Support Transgender Ideology01:22:09 The Inability to Change Biological Reality01:23:02 The Importance of Embracing One's Identity01:24:09 The Risks and Ethics of Plastic Surgery01:25:15 The Dark History of Medical Experiments01:26:43 The Unlikelihood of Justice for Medical Experimenters01:28:05 The Token Punishment of a Few01:29:51 The Weakness of Men Who Support Transgender Ideology01:31:16 The Importance of Exercising Restraint01:33:13 The Need for Struggle and Responsibility in Childhood01:35:17 The Crippling of Children by Overprotection01:37:15 The Inability to Handle Real Life Challenges Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
🚨This is a cross post of an episode that originally appeared on Theo’s Substack🚨SummaryIn this conversation, the Theo and I discuss various topics, including recent events, the awakening to anti-Semitism, the influence of environment on character, the connection between wokeness and the USSR, and the insult of wokeness to those who have lived under oppression. The conversation covers topics such as fiscal sponsorship and BDS, funding radical movements, the pendulum swing of ideologies, and the inverse casting of woke ideology. It also explores the parallels between Catholicism and woke activism, the impact of friction and character development, and the saviour complex in decolonization efforts. We delve into the funding of domestic radicalism in universities and the audacity of removing leaders and conclude with a discussion on the cult-like following of Justin Trudeau. Theo and I cover topics such as foreign interference inquiry, nepotism, the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab's remarks, lack of accountability, media coverage, passing of laws in British Columbia, the role of the fourth estate, differences between Canadian and American politics, the misuse of emergency powers, abuse of power and majority rule, dehumanization, propaganda, selective valuing of lived experiences, hatecraft and cult speak, cognitive dissonance and denial, the burden of history, and bath time as an opportunity to consume information.Takeaways* Recent events have sparked conversations and awakenings to issues such as anti-Semitism and wokeness.* The environment in which people grow up can shape their character and perspectives.* Wokeness can be seen as an insult to those who have lived under real oppression.* It is important to have open and uncomfortable conversations to understand different perspectives and challenge preconceived notions. Foreign interference and nepotism are concerns in the Canadian political landscape.* The World Economic Forum and its Young Global Leaders program raise questions about influence and radicalization.* The lack of accountability and media coverage in Canada is troubling.* The misuse of emergency powers and abuse of majority rule are issues that need to be addressed.* Dehumanization and propaganda play a role in shaping public opinion and justifying harmful actions.* Selective valuing of lived experiences and hatecraft contribute to division and polarization.* Cognitive dissonance and denial can prevent people from acknowledging and addressing societal issues.* Understanding history and consuming information critically are important for informed citizenship.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Getting to Know Each Other02:12 The Impact of Recent Events on the Conversation09:09 The Awakening to Anti-Semitism15:01 The Influence of Environment on Character31:38 The Insult of Wokeness to Those Who Have Lived Under Oppression34:24 Fiscal Sponsorship and BDS37:11 Funding Our Own Demise38:05 Communist Movement in Haiti39:28 Funding Radicalism in Universities41:21 Decolonization and Saviour Complex43:13 Privilege and Woke Activism45:31 Friction and Character Development46:50 The Pendulum Swing of Ideologies49:31 Funding Radical Movements51:41 The Audacity of Removing Leaders55:03 Inverse Casting of Ideologies58:15 Confession and Struggle Sessions01:00:37 The Cult of Trudeau01:09:32 Foreign Interference Inquiry and Nepotism01:10:56 The World Economic Forum and Young Global Leaders01:11:22 Klaus Schwab's Remarks and Government Response01:12:48 Lack of Accountability and Media Coverage01:13:18 Passing of Laws in British Columbia01:14:15 Lack of Media Coverage and Fourth Estate01:15:41 Comparison of Canadian and American Politics01:16:38 Importance of Local Politics01:17:07 Differences in Political Engagement01:18:06 Misuse of Emergency Powers01:19:02 Abuse of Power and Majority Rule01:20:00 Unconstitutional Actions and Dehumanization01:21:21 Similarities to Historical Genocides01:23:05 Propaganda and Dehumanization01:24:43 Modern Examples of Dehumanization01:27:03 Selective Valuing of Lived Experiences01:29:31 Hatecraft and Cult Speak01:31:29 Language and Propaganda01:34:09 Cognitive Dissonance and Denial01:36:16 The Girl with the Flowers01:39:05 The Burden of History01:41:18 Taking Baths and Consuming Information
Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
SummaryThe conversation explores the topic of toxic activism and its impact on society. It discusses the controversy surrounding gender identity and the behavior of some activists. The conversation also highlights the issue of online harassment and doxing, where individuals are targeted and threatened for expressing their opinions. It delves into the difference between activism and bullying, as well as the consequences of cancel culture and misrepresentation. The conversation touches on the importance of ethics in journalism and criticism. It also criticizes political leaders for their hypocrisy and lack of connection with the people. The concept of passivity and the banality of evil is examined, along with the disillusionment with media. The conversation explores the balance between politeness and offense, and the implications of gender identity on human rights. It concludes by emphasizing the need for critical thinking and leadership in combating thoughtlessness and promoting a more ethical society.TakeawaysToxic activism can hinder productive conversations and lead to online harassment and threats.Cancel culture and misrepresentation can have a detrimental impact on individuals and society.Ethics in journalism and criticism are essential for fair and accurate reporting.Political leaders should be held accountable for their actions and hypocrisy.Passivity and thoughtlessness can contribute to the banality of evil.The media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion and should strive for unbiased reporting.Politeness should not hinder discussions about important issues, but offense should be approached with empathy and understanding.Gender identity should be considered in the context of human rights, while also acknowledging the importance of biological sex.Critical thinking and leadership are necessary to combat thoughtlessness and promote a more ethical society.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background01:00 Toxic Activism and Gender Identity03:12 Online Harassment and Doxing06:24 Activism vs. Bullying07:18 Cancel Culture and Misrepresentation09:11 Ethics in Journalism and Criticism12:03 Political Leaders and Hypocrisy14:22 Passivity and the Banality of Evil16:37 Disillusionment with Media19:23 Politeness and Offense21:19 Gender Identity and Human Rights22:41 Deconstructing Gender Identity23:39 Thoughtlessness and Leadership Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
SummaryIn this conversation, Bad Hijabi discusses the practice of Bacha Bazi in Afghanistan and its connection to misogyny and the absence of women from society. She highlights that Bacha Bazi is a form of pederasty that is prevalent across cultures and regions. Bad Hijabi emphasizes the neglect of boys' issues and the use of abuse as a tool for radicalization. She also discusses the CIA's involvement with warlords and the impact of these abuses on radicalism and extremism. Bad Hijabi calls for awareness among NGOs and journalists and questions the accomplishments and interests served by Western interventions. She criticizes the sexualization of children and highlights the societal impact of suboptimal decisions.TakeawaysBacha Bazi is a practice of pederasty in Afghanistan that is enabled by misogyny and the absence of women from society.Abuse of boys in Bacha Bazi contributes to the radicalization and extremism in the region.The CIA's involvement with warlords and the enabling of abuses raises questions about the interests served by Western interventions.The sexualization of children and the neglect of boys' issues are concerning aspects that need more awareness and attention.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Bacha Bazi01:03 Misogyny and Women's Absence from Society02:23 Pederasty Across Cultures03:11 Neglect of Boys' Issues04:13 Life After Bacha Bazi05:12 Abuse as a Radicalization Tool07:20 CIA's Involvement with Warlords08:46 Impact on Radicalism and Extremism09:14 Awareness Among NGOs and Journalists10:31 Questioning Accomplishments and Interests Served12:18 Accountability and Unacceptable Behaviour13:18 Children's Rights and Sexualization16:02 Enabling Abuses and Creating Extremists19:01 Societal Impact and Suboptimal Decisions20:18 Conclusion Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
Hello, welcome to the inaugural podcast episode of Adventures of Bad Hijabi. I decided I would begin with a short discussion of my previous essay. The entire episode runs about 41 minutes in length and it’s behind the paywall. I have provided a 13 minute clip for non paying readers. Here are a few show notes. Hannah Arendt wrote about the banality of evil in Eichmann in Jerusalem, she reconceptualised evil as mediocre and ordinary. Tania Crasnianski wrote Children of Nazis. SURJ Showing Up for Racial Justice is a leftwing agitprop group. Reliability as I used the word has a specific definition in research methods.The National Post has provided good coverage on the issue of DEI creep into the Judiciary, Jamie Saronak and Tristin Hopper have written at length about this topic. Black only performances created a stir in Canada a while back. You can find the latest scoop on the DEI derangement from Jon Kay and Chanel Pfahl on X. You can find the Perpetrator Testimonies of the Rwandan Genocide online. You can find David Livingstone Smith here. Also here. You can find full 41 minute podcast episode, together with a pdf copy of the transcript, behind the paywall.SummaryIn this audio clip, Bad Hijabi discusses the concept of queerification and compares it to the historical process of Aryanization. She explores the rejection of Christian morality, the manipulation of language, and the contempt for Judeo-Christian values. Rukhsana also highlights the similarities in thinking processes between the two phenomena and the manipulation and exploitation by elites. She discuss the violation of reality, distortion of history, and the dehumanization of certain groups. The clip concludes with Bad Hijabi urging listeners to be aware of the societal changes happening and to think critically about the current state of society.Takeaways* Queerification can be seen as a process that parallels the historical phenomenon of Aryanization.* There is a rejection of Christian morality and a manipulation of language in both queerification and Aryanization.* The contempt for Judeo-Christian values and the dehumanization of certain groups are common themes in both phenomena.* The manipulation and exploitation by elites play a significant role in both queerification and Aryanization.Episode Chapters00:00 Introduction and Definition of Queer01:22 Fascination with the Denazification Period03:16 Understanding the Banality of Evil04:14 Fascination with the Horrors of the Holocaust05:12 Rejection of Christian Morality06:07 Comparing Queerification to Aryanization08:28 Similarities in Thinking Process09:21 Propaganda and Manipulation10:16 Language War and Redefining Language11:13 Contempt of Judeo-Christian Values12:11 Reparative Sociopolitical Process13:36 Subverting Natural Lines of Attachment14:06 Contempt of Women and Manipulation15:31 Oppression Paradigm and Heterosexuality16:25 Identity as the Whim of the Fuhrer17:48 Favoring Designated Victim Groups18:45 Manipulation and Repackaging of White Supremacy19:35 Similarities in Societal Grievances20:02 Violation of Reality and Distortion of History21:29 Dehumanization and Distorted Beauty Standards22:23 Responsibility for Past Wrongs and Current Opportunities23:23 Designating Scapegoats and Dehumanization25:18 Manipulation and Exploitation by Elites26:17 Violation of Constitution and Abuse of Power27:41 Manipulation and Demoralization of Society31:59 Comparison to Iranian Revolution35:07 Society Broken by Radicals and Sexual Depravity36:03 Elimination Policies and Forced Measures38:00 Manipulation and Tolerance of Corrupt Leaders39:24 Sensationalization and Wounding Language40:22 Future Plans and ConclusionAdventures of Bad Hijabi is a reader-supported publication. To unlock the full episode please purchase a paid subscription, annual sub sale 67% off ends March 3rd.You can find the original essay I have discussed in this podcast here. You can read about the children of nazis here. You can read a thoughtful piece about the human condition during the times of the Nazis here. The transcript of the full episode is below. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
ACE Score = Adverse Childhood Experiences ScoreGnRHa = Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone agonist Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.
“In addition, since establishing the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) in 2005, Congress has made appropriations to the fund subject to the stipulation that they “shall be available to the Secretary of Defense, notwithstanding any other provision of law.”—SIGAR 17-47-IPNotwithstanding, meaning without being prevented by, provided the Pentagon with an easy loophole to circumvent The Leahy Law—which prevents American funding of foreign security forces engaged in violation of human rights—and continue it’s imperial industrial military cult mission into Afghanistan, unchecked. Despite confirming gross human rights violations committed by particular ASF (Afghan Security Forces) units, the Pentagon and the State Department invoked the notwithstanding clause to continue to fund the ASFF. Use of the clause for this purpose required no Congressional approval. This is America.Interestingly, half a century ago, in his farewell speech, the only military general ever elected POTUS in the 20th century warned of this very phenomenon, predicting that misplaced power of unelected Pentagon officials would set a course that impedes liberty and subverts democracy and jeopardises peace. “… we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist …”—Dwight Eisenhower, Farewell AddressThe SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan) report describes interviewing several individuals with knowledge of the occurrence of Bacha Bazi—the practise of kidnapping, trafficking, and sexual enslavement of young boys, sometimes called chai boys. Many individuals described a reluctance to report specifics to US representatives for fear of reprisal and service members either reported being told to overlook the abuse or feeling as though they had received inadequate training or directives as to how to address any child abuse they did see. Bacha Bazi is very sensitive, and those involved are in high positions within the Afghan military, which makes going after these individuals very difficult, reported a NGO representative. Despite the investigation of complaints brought forth by service members in both the US and Canada, investigations conducted by each country’s DOD found no evidence that anyone in the … operational chain of command had ever ordered troops to ignore sexual assault of minors by the ANSF. It’s a common refrain I have read in reports, and it doesn’t surprise me that military command would throw it’s members under the bus in a Machiavellian effort to dodge accountability for crimes against humanity. Despite the apparent lack of evidence, despite the notwithstanding clause, despite the denials and an utter lack of transparency—service members witnessed and heard what they did, they suffered a great deal under the strain of having to exist in an ecosystem which gives rise to such vile moral dilemmas. Facts remain whether we choose to believe or ignore them. Which military commander or other authority figure would want to admit to complicity in the commission of crimes against humanity and war crimes? How could any of them possibly justify turning a blind eye to such heinous crimes that eventually would pose a serious security risk to Afghan and US forces? The Taliban took their opportunity to use Bacha Bazi victims as Trojan horses for the Afghan Police, so widespread was the practise of Bach Bazi amongst the police force and command. Beyond this, the obvious remains—America’s military industrial cult directly contributed to the utter devastation and disintegration of Afghanistan and Afghan society. Afghan society has had war for over four decades. War perpetuates human rights violations—rape becomes a favourite currency of society in war time. In my research I have learned that the CIA gave Afghan warlords Viagra as an incentive to provide them with intelligence and other assistance in it’s war on terror. Yes, the CIA gave pedophiles Viagra. I guess when the pedo has four wives we can tell ourselves we’re helping a guy out by giving him Viagra. American First.It’s widely know amongst NGOs and journalists and others in the know on the ground that the CIA backed warlords who had chai boys and a reputation for pederasty—in fact one of them ran for the presidency of Afghanistan, and became a minister in the Ghani regime. Najibullah Quraishi documented extensively the phenomenon of Bacha Bazi in a film that shocked the world. Ben Anderson also produced a disturbing documentary about the abuse and corruption endemic in both the Afghan police and security forces. Both the NTY and WaPo published pieces on Bacha Bazi and its connection to the military occupation. The Dutch have written about the moral dilemma Bacha Bazi presented Dutch service members in the context of military ethics. A handful of activists have spoken out and some feared for their physical safety in doing so—a blanket of silence remains. Point being—political decision makers knew about the abuse and chose to overlook it because that served their geopolitical and self interests. Powerful men who do bad things elude accountability—geopolitical interests of the military industrial cult took priority over the human rights and physical safety of children. The Government of Afghanistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Government actors continue to conflate the crimes of kidnapping and trafficking; this poor understanding of trafficking poses an impediment to targeted intervention. An undeveloped judicial and prosecutorial system, judicial delays, corruption, and weak coordination remain obstacles to effectively punishing trafficking offenses. In addition, Afghanistan punishes some victims of sex trafficking with imprisonment for adultery or prostitution, acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.—US State Department, 2009I wonder if, now that America has pulled out of Afghanistan, we can revisit the mission, its stated purpose, and its main beneficiaries. I remember when this war began and I remember the false narrative promoted to convince the tax payers funding this endeavour of its absolute necessity. Emotions were high, the lust for vengeance deep, and rationality in very short supply. Point blank—America lied about this mission into Afghanistan and they engaged in a strategy of coercion and manipulation to strong arm NATO countries into going to war. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists, said George W. Bush in his petulant cry for war. Look mate, twenty years later I have to ask—who really are the terrorists in all this? What if the imperialists are terrorists, too? We need transparency, we who paid for this war with our tax dollars and also our children and families and communities—we need to take a full accounting of all atrocities done in our names and in the name of the Afghan people to the Afghan people and their country. We demand accountability for the service members’ lives lost and those spared yet forever altered by their experiences serving in Afghanistan. We demand accountability for the Afghan people.Sex with boys is called rape, so let’s stop whitewashing it and call it by its name. Trafficking children for the purposes of sex slavery is a crime against humanity, and in the case of Bacha Bazi, it is also a war crime. There is no reason that any human should be required to listen the screams of young boys being sodomised by men in the middle of the night in the process of serving their country as a member of the armed forces! Following orders is not an excuse for enabling human rights violations! After WW2 have we not learned this—seriously? The raping of boys by Afghan Security Forces violates the Geneva Convention and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child—Afghanistan has membership in both. For political reasons the US chooses against membership within the International Criminal Court and would likely succeed in pressuring nation members of the ICC not to co-operate with any investigation into the human rights violations which took place in Afghanistan. Afghanistan stands as solid evidence why America never again has any business interfering into the affairs of other nations—preservation of hegemony and acting out a vengeance hard-on are not reasons to stage a military invasion into a country and destroy that country. The American invasion of Afghanistan defied international law—America waged an illegal war.The collection of documents relating to Afghanistan declassified by the US State Department in 2018 provides a blueprint of the road to hell paved with America’s good intentions. America backed Afghan rebels against Soviet invasion to destabilise the USSR and precipitate the fall of communism, yet China seems poised to engage with Afghanistan and make itself a major player in central Asia and the Middle East, so one wonders about the severity of the blow dealt to communism. Yes, the USSR collapsed and the Iron Curtain fell. Though, let’s not forget the former head of the KGB is president of Russia and that the Chinese Communist Party wields influence as the major super power with which to reckon. Let’s also notice how China has funded infrastructure projects in the developing world and also it’s growing influence in the MENA region. That’s not to mention the very unfortunate effect of the Americans arming the Afghan resistance and then creating a vacuum by walking away from it at the end of the Cold War—civil war and a rise in extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan. So, really, what did America gain in the long run by destroying Afghanistan? Aside from wealthy military contractors? Ok, America indulged it’s revenge hard-on. It lost the war, though. So, was the vengeance orgasm worth it, I wonder? If






















