From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.


The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

Recently, a term has become particularly popular: "The Kill Line."
In the oil drilling industry, there is a pipeline that usually doesn't work much but is critical to life and death; its name is K-Line (Kill Line). This "Kill Line" sounds terrifyingrCowhat is its function? When high-pressure fluids downhole are about to cause a catastrophic blowout or explosion, engineers press the final button. Through this "Kill Line," they forcibly inject high-density heavy mud into the wellbore. Either you forcibly suppress this pressure, or you face systemic destruction. This is the origin of the "Kill Line."
However, the reason this term has become so popular online is not actually because of oil drilling, but because many people are asking: In the United States, why can a originally decent middle-class personrCosuch as a Microsoft programmer or a retired veteranrCobe "taken out" by a series of relentless blows in just a few months?
The purpose of this video is not to criticize the United States, but to deeply dissect the social phenomenon of the "Kill Line" and see through a extreme logic of social operation: When a system pursues maximum efficiency and eliminates all "inefficient redundancy," why is it that if an individual accidentally slips down the social ladder, they cannot climb back up? Why do they ultimately become a tragedy?
I. D.O.T.: The Survival Game of Continuous Damage
Friends living in North America, do you ever feel this way: The balance in your bank account every month is like a D.O.T. (Damage Over Time) hanging on your bodyrCoauiUt+!uCoE+no<|. Gamers know that D.O.T. is a skill that drains a bit of health every second. In the game server called "America," from the moment you are born, you are covered in various D.O.T.s: Property tax is a large fixed annual expense; insurance (car, medical, life) is automatically deducted monthly; mortgages, car loans, student loans, and other long-term debts act like continuous health loss. You must constantly "fight monsters" (work) to heal. Once you stop to catch your breath, or get touched by a "monster"rCosuch as getting sick or unemployedrCoand your healing speed drops below your damage speed, your health bar (cash flow) hits zero, and the system judges you "dead." In real life, many people call this "survival pressure" or "crazy bills." But this is not just the evil result of a business model; it is the inevitable evolution of capital pursuing the ultimate efficiency.
II. The Economic Principle of the "Kill Line"
The reason the "Kill Line" exists is that high maintenance costs do not allow you to pause. Once income stops, these fixed expenses instantly transform into compound debt, rapidly devouring your assets. To some extent, in key areas like housing, healthcare, and credit, the United States looks more like a massive revenue-sharing paid membership platform stitched together by contracts, scores, and risk control rules. You live like a citizen, but the system treats you as a user. The so-called "citizenship" is actually obsoleterCoreplaced by your identity as a user. All your rights (housing, medical care, travel, and even your legitimacy in society) have become a "pay-as-you-go" subscription service. In the internet industry, we call this model SaaS (Software as a Service). But today, SaaS has become Saas (Survival as a Service)rCoSurvival as a Service.
III. Housing: The "Subscription" Manipulated by Algorithms
As a player entering this world, first you need a place to live. Traditional economics textbooks say: Rent is determined by supply and demand. If there are many vacant houses, landlords must lower prices to recoup funds. But in the United States, this law is failing. There is a company called RealPage that collects real-time transaction data on millions of housing units. It uses AI algorithms to accurately calculate the maximum rent the market can bear, then advises all landlords: Even if the house is empty, do not lower the price! Why? Because for capital, vacancy is just a loss of cash flow, but lowering prices could lead to a collapse in asset valuation, triggering a bank Margin Call. Thus, algorithmic collusion manipulates the market, becoming the behind-the-scenes price setter, leading to market mechanism failure. Despite a large number of vacancies, rents remain highrCosurveys show that in communities using this type of software, rents were artificially pushed up by more than 25% in the short term. Desperate tenants find that no matter which apartment they ask, the prices are shockingly consistent. You are no longer facing scattered landlords, but a landlord alliance with absolute information advantage. Even more terrifying is that rental eligibility is also controlled by algorithms. In the United States, rental applications usually need to go through third-party screening services like SafeRent. Even if you are low-income and the government has guaranteed your payment ability, you may still be instantly rejected by the landlord. As long as your credit record has medical debt, student loan delinquency, or even an unpaid electric bill from years ago, the algorithm will give you a low score and directly refuse you. A single financial crisis can permanently block you from the quality housing market.
IV. Buying a House? Already a Luxury
Then just buy a house, right? Have you heard of the "Build-to-Rent" sector? In 2023, these "rent-only" communities in the United States grew by 102%. Since 2008, giants like Blackstone have invested over $50 billion to buy thousands of single-family homes, only to rent them out, directly pushing up the threshold for buying. Their logic is simple but cruel: Why let users buy out the asset in one go? It is better to turn housing into SaaSrColocking your cash flow for the next 30 years. The data is staggering: From 1985 to 2025, the median US household income grew by 255%; during the same period, the median housing price rose by 415%. In 1985, an ordinary family needed 3.5 years of income (spending nothing) to buy a house; by 2025, it requires 5.1 years; in super-cities like Los Angeles, it requires 12.5 years! Today, buying a house requires an annual income of at least $120,000, which is 40% higher than the average income. This means the vast majority of young people have been forcibly locked into a "lifetime tenant" identityrCothe rent they pay no longer turns into assets but into service fees, flowing to Wall Street.
V. Everything is a Subscription: From Phones to Cars
It's not just housing; cars, phones, everything has become a subscription. In the past, if you bought a car or a printer, you bought it outright. But in the SaaS era, hardware is just a carrier for selling software. The most absurd example is in the automotive industry: Brands like BMW and Audi use OTA unlimited upgrades to "lock" in-car functions. For example, you clearly have the hardware for seat heating, but pressing the button does nothingrCothe screen pops up: "Please pay a monthly fee to unlock the 'butt heating' service." Even crazier, performance and driving assistance features related to safety are also hidden behind paywalls. American farmers can't even repair the tractors they bought. John Deere installs encrypted software on equipment; farmers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a machine, but if one part breaks, they can't fix it themselvesrCootherwise it's "copyright infringement," and they must pay high prices for official personnel to enter a code. This is called "Right-to-Repair Denial." I experienced this myself: my home printer automatically updated its firmware, rendering all my third-party ink cartridges useless. The official ink cartridges cost more than the printer! Manufacturers can actually implement remote control over devices users have already purchased via the network.
VI. The Trap of the Subscription Economy
This "subscription" business model, introduced by Apple, has run rampant. Many Apps provide no extra value but forcibly charge monthlyrCopurely to extract users. Economics has an indicator called the "Subscription Economy Index": Over the past decade, it has grown by 435%. The capital market cheers this as a "victory of the business model," but for ordinary people, it means their bank accounts are pasted with automatic deduction agreements. Data shows: The average American household has at least $299 automatically deducted monthly; 74% of people can't even calculate how many services they have subscribed to. This is a psychological trap of "painless deduction," carefully designed. Like drawing blood, it drains your disposable income bit by bit.
VII. Gig Economy: The Algorithmic Panopticon
Let's look at the bottom first, the "gig economy": Uber drivers, delivery people... They are stripped of employee status and become "independent contractors"rCono minimum wage, no medical insurance, no overtime pay. Managing them is the algorithm, known as the "Algorithmic Panopticon." The system uses gamification to induce drivers: "Just take one more order, and you'll hit today's target!" Using human psychology to lock you into the system. The most extreme is Amazon warehouses: The annual employee turnover rate often exceeds 100%, even reaching 150%rComeaning all employees are replaced every 8 months. In Amazon's eyes, high turnover is not a management failure, but a special design of the system. Work is broken down into simple, repetitive labor that anyone can pick up in a few hours. Old employees, who might organize unions or demand rights, are deliberately eliminated. Workers are viewed as "replaceable batteries"rCothe cost of replacing new batteries (new immigrants, young people) is far lower than maintaining old batteries (old employee benefits).
VIII. Middle-Class Elite? Just Advanced Batteries
You might think: "I'm a Silicon Valley engineer, a Wall Street elite, I'm safe." Dead wrong. Because survival is a service, this logic captures them too. Your wealth doesn't come from asset appreciation but from super-labor. Many elites with six-figure salaries work 80rCo100 hours a week just to pay the high "class subscription fees": school district houses, private schools, high-end medical insurance... This wealth is extremely fragilerCoit's not like land or bonds, but more like a "premium membership status." Once you get sick, overworked, or briefly unemployed, your social status and standard of living collapse rapidly. In a SaaS-ized society, whether you are a delivery guy or a programmer, you are essentially consumables for the systemrCothe only difference is whether you are a "cheap disposable battery" or an "expensive high-performance battery."
IX. Medical Care: Financial Harvesting of the Body
As a human mine, you work hard, and your body collapses. What awaits you is the cruelest side of societyrCothe American healthcare system. TheoNu*+> (traps) run deeper. You feel that medical care is no longer a service to save the dying and heal the wounded, but a financial harvesting you cannot escape. For example, in the US, antibiotics themselves are very cheap; Walmart only needs $4, but you can't buy them at allrCobecause you don't have a "prescription." To get a prescription, you have to book a doctor and pay a $150rCo300 "clinic fee." If you have no insurance or can't afford this fee, even if you have the $4 for the medicine in hand, you can only watch a small infection evolve into sepsis. What's valuable isn't the medicine, but the "access permission"rCothat subscription qualification that legally allows you to see a doctor. Even more terrifying is the "Deductible": In 2024, the annual cost for a family health insurance plan in the US exceeded $25,000, but when seeing a doctor, the first $5,000 still needs to be paid out of pocket. So, many Americans who go bankrupt due to illness actually *have* insurance! Reports show that in 2024, 36% of American families carried medical debtrCothis is called "medical impoverishment." Then there is the "out-of-network" trap: You are rushed to an in-network hospital, but if the anesthesiologist or radiologist is out-of-network, you will receive a "surprise bill" for tens of thousands of dollars after discharge. It's impossible to guard against. There was an old man who passed away, and his family received a $195,000 bill. Later, AI review found that many items shouldn't have been charged, and it was reduced to $33,000. Without AI technical tools, ordinary people can't fight this system at all and can't figure out how many traps are inside. Even if you have insurance, seeing a doctor is like a gamble.
X. Credit Score: Social Pass
Once you fall into medical debt, the bill is transferred to a collection agency raA Credit score plummets raA The credit score is your social pass! Once the score drops: Landlords refuse to rent; Employers (especially in finance, security industries) refuse to hire. You might have just been sick, but you lose the qualification for housing and workrCothis is the real-life "Kill Line."
XI. Elderly Care: Wall Street's Harvest Field
Even if you live safely to old age, you still can't escape another shining knife. Nowadays, many nursing homes have been acquired by Wall Street private equity firms. A common tactic is called "asset stripping": Buy the nursing home raA Sell the land and property raA Make the nursing home rent it back at a high price raA Profits go into investors' pockets. To repay debt, the nursing home can only cut staff. Studies show: Patient mortality rates in private-equity-acquired nursing homes are 10% higher. To save money, caregivers are reduced, and elderly people are given large amounts of antipsychotic drugs to keep them drowsy all day. For the poor, there is something even cruelerrCothe "Estate Recovery Program": Low-income elderly use Medicaid to pay for long-term care. After they pass away, the state government has the right to auction their property to recover costs. The only wealth of a poor familyrCoan ancestral home meant to be left to children as capital to turn their lives aroundrCois confiscated by the government. The chain of intergenerational wealth accumulation is severed ruthlessly.
XII. Real Case: Losing a Life of Savings for $134
In Washington D.C., a Marine veteran named Ben Kerriman owned a house worth $197,000, his life's savings. Due to negligence, he owed $134 in property taxes. The local government sold the "tax lien" to a private investor, who started foreclosure proceedings. Although his son finally raised the money to pay the tax, he couldn't afford the $5,000 in legal fees. The result was that the house was forcibly auctioned. After deducting all fees, the remaining $100,000+ was not returned to the veteran but was split between the investor and the government. The veteran was forcibly dragged out of his home by bailiffs, sitting on a porch chair and collapsing in tears. Although the Supreme Court ruled such practices unconstitutional in 2023, in reality, ordinary people who don't understand the law are still swallowed by the system.
XIII. How $800 Crushes a Middle-Class Person?
It's hard to understand domestically: Why can an $800 car repair bill crush an American? Look at a cold math problem: The car breaks down, needs $800 repair; No cash raA Can't fix car raA Can't go to work (many places have no buses); Miss work for 3 days raA Fired raA Lose income; Can't pay bills raA Credit default; At this point, the system starts a "speed combo": Car loan interest rates skyrocket (triggering default clauses); Landlord starts eviction process; This isn't someone intentionally persecuting you, but every subsystem (bank, car dealer, landlord) automatically executing stop-loss for risk control. When all programs trigger simultaneously, the "Kill Line" takes effect. This explains why among the homeless there are veterans and programmersrCothey didn't lose due to ability, but due to the systemic domino effect after cash flow broke. Those homeless people who have lost their permanent address can eat free food provided by charities, but in a sociological sense, they are already deadrCoa fed despair. The American financial system has designed a set of ultimate "dark modes" for the poor. Once your class slips, you will find traps everywhere, and it is extremely difficult to climb out.
XIV. The Bottom Trap: Overdraft Fees and Payday Loans
Banks earn $15.5 billion a year from "Overdraft Fees." You have $3 left in your account, you swipe for a $5 coffee, you overdraw by $2 raA The bank charges a $35 fee! 9% of "high-frequency overdraft users" contribute 79% of overdraft fees, and their daily account balance is usually under $350. This is a fine against the poor. Once banned by regular banks, they can only turn to "Payday Loans"rCoannual interest rates as high as 300% or more. In essence, this is "Predatory Lending SaaS": They don't expect you to repay the principal, only hope you pay interest forever. Data shows: Out of 5 payday loans, 4 are rolled over indefinitely. An emergency need is solidified into a permanent high-interest debt subscription. You are like running madly on a treadmill, spitting blood, but not moving an inch forward.
XV. Physical and Cognitive Weathering
Living in a state of crisis for a long time accelerates physical aging. To cope with stress, the body continuously secretes cortisol. Short-term, it helps you survive, but long-term, it destroys blood vessels and the immune system. Data shows: The telomere length (a marker of biological aging) of African American women is significantly shorter than that of white women of the same age. Mentally, there is also the "Bandwidth Tax": Worrying every day about the next meal, rent, car repairs... The brain is in a "scarcity mindset" long-term, fluid intelligence declines, and one cannot think about long-term planning. It's not that the poor are short-sighted, but that the survival crisis has exhausted all cognitive bandwidth.
XVI. Welfare System: Discouraging Design
"Isn't there social relief?" In reality, the process of receiving welfare is designed to discourage you. 2004 data showed: 1 in 8 people eligible for food stamps were kicked out of the system because they couldn't handle the paperwork. Missing a phone interview, failing to upload a document, or even "not finding a place to print a form" are insurmountable obstacles for the bottom class who have no computer or stable network. The system deliberately reduces the realization rate of benefits through complex UI. "Then what about the church?" An experimenter pretended to have a baby out of food and asked more than 40 religious organizations for help; fewer than 10 were willing to help, and 43% directly refused.
XVII. Why Not Revolt? The System Avoids the Rebellion Range
History shows that people are most prone to revolt when they are at 20% health. But the brilliance of the SaaS system is: It uses high debt and overtime to keep you at 50% health (exhausted but hopeful); Once you fall, it immediately uses the "Kill Line" to beat you down to near 0% (homeless, credit death). You are busy working three jobs to pay off debt, where do you have the energy to revolt! You are wandering the streets looking for your next meal, where do you have the strength to organize resistance!
Do you remember the K-Line (Kill Line) mentioned at the beginning of the video? When the pressure of the systemrCothat is, the wealth gap and social conflictrCois about to cause a blowout, the system does not choose to decompress or reform, but directly starts this "Kill Line," injecting high-density "heavy mud"rCowhich is what we see in the news as strong systemic stability maintenance measures.
In all SaaS (Subscription as a Service) platforms, what is the harshest punishment? It is banning. In online games, "banning" means you cannot log in; But in the "platform" of real life, the concrete manifestation of "banning" is: Eviction, bankruptcy, homelessness.
In the United States, credit scores were originally just a tool to assess your repayment ability, but now they have been thoroughly alienated into an indicator measuring "human value." In most US states, car insurance rates depend on your credit score. A person with a terrible credit score but a perfect driving record might pay double for insurance compared to someone with a high credit score who has had accidentsrCothis is essentially a fine imposed on poverty. Employers also check your credit score when hiring. If your credit was damaged due to unemployment or illness, it is hard to find a good job. This equates to: If you can't pay the "membership fee," the system deprives you of the ability to earn money.
And once your file has an eviction record, you are permanently branded with a digital mark of a "bad tenant." Even if you have money later, it is hard to rent quality housing, and you can only flow to more dangerous, marginal gray areas. Thus, you fall into a terrifying identity death looprCothis is the famous "ID Trap": You need an ID (ID) to find a job or apply for affordable housing; To get an ID, you need to provide a residential address; But you just got evicted and have no fixed address; No address, you can't get an ID; No ID, you can't rent a house or find a job; No job, no income, and certainly no address... This is a self-locking closed loop.
Adding to this are US anti-money laundering regulations like the "Patriot Act": No address, you can't open a bank account. In the era of digital payment, without a bank account, you cannot receive regular wages. You are completely excluded from the system, able to only work off the books, sell blood, or even beg on the street. So, do you see? The reason homeless people are socially isolated is not because they are lazy or degenerate, but because they have lost the key metadata of "address"rCothe firewall of modern society directly rejects them.
The previous section discussed the chain reaction after cash flow broke; now we enter the deeper logic: The system eliminates the "downgrade option" from the start, leaving you with no legal retreat. Here we can make an interesting comparison: Many people like to compare China's "Sanhe Gods" or "Lying Flat youth" with American homeless people, often concluding: "China has a hometown, there is a way back." Putting aside grand narratives, and looking only from the system design perspective, the biggest difference is: China allows "low graphics mode" operation, while the United States does not.
In some corners of China, there are a large number of low-cost survival gaps: a bowl of plain noodles for five yuan, a bunk in an urban village for thirty yuan a night, or going back to the hometown to live in a self-built house with no property tax. These states are not dignified, but they are completely legal. The system tolerates you living in "low resolution." But in the United States, the situation is drastically different. To maintain community "dignity" and asset values, the system eliminated low-end options from the design beginning.
It sounds counter-intuitiverCoisn't the US about freedom? But in fact, many communities in the US have extremely strict Zoning Laws and ubiquitous Homeowners Associations (HOAs). They act like system administrators with the highest permissions: stipulating the minimum house size, requiring lawns to be watered daily, prohibiting too many unrelated people from living under one roof. Cheap single-room hotels that once existed were also gradually removed for "affecting community image" or "lowering housing prices." The result is: The survival threshold is violently raised.
In the US, you have only two choices: Either pay $2,000 a month to rent a "decent" apartment (become a paid member); Or sleep on the street. Intermediate optionsrColike renting a rundown room for $200, or pitching a tent on vacant landrCoare illegal because they violate building codes, sanitation ordinances, or are considered "damaging community asset values." Therefore, the reason there are so many homeless people in the US is not just because they are poor, but because "living undignified" is itself a crime.
This is the true "Kill Line": When you can't afford the expensive "survival subscription fee," the system doesn't offer a downgraded service, but directly cuts your connection. This also explains why you see: Working cashiers, recently divorced teachers, can only live in their cars. It's not that they aren't working hard enough, but that they can't reach the survival threshold that was artificially raised.
Media often portrays homeless people as "lazy" or "drug addicts," but a study from the University of California reveals a cold truth: Homelessness rates are absolutely positively correlated with local housing prices. People don't become homeless because of drugs, but because after being kicked out of the system, in extreme cold and despair, they use chemical anesthetics to shut down their perception.
In 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled in *City of Grants Pass v. Johnson* that local governments can criminally penalize people sleeping in public placesrCoeven if there aren't enough shelters locally. This means: Poverty itself has been criminalized. If you haven't subscribed to "housing services," your existence is a crime.
In the medical system, this logic manifests as "Patient Dumping": To clear bad debt users, hospitals forcibly discharge unrecovered homeless patients, stuffing them into taxis or throwing them on street corners or shelter entrances. This behavior is extremely cruel.
Writing this, I myself feel depressed, almost out of breath. I apologize for bringing up such a heavy topic. I certainly know the US has a beautiful side and countless kind ordinary people. But the purpose of this video is to dig deep into the operating mechanisms of the dark side.
To summarize: American society is undergoing a structural transformation from "asset ownership" to "survival subscription." The middle class is being proletarianized, and wealth is transported to asset owners through high "subscription fees" for housing, education, and medical care, creating an extremely fragile social ecosystem. Data shows: 30% of Americans cannot come up with $400 in emergency cash. The entire society is on the edge of fracture.
When the social fault tolerance rate is pressed to the extreme low, the trigger threshold for systemic conflict drops. This is also why many institutions predict: The US is entering a high-risk window for social turmoil. Why is there a "Kill Line"? Because the system knows: Endless extraction will eventually trigger rebellion. But instead of stopping exploitation or promoting reform, it chooses to press the K-Line button and inject "heavy mud"rCousing strong stability maintenance measures to suppress those kicked out of the system, ensuring the platform continues to provide "decent services" to paid members.
As long as the Kill Line is operating, the upper class can continue singing and dancing. Let me emphasize again: What we dissected today is not just the American story, but the future picture of techno-capitalism. If the SaaS-ization trend spreads, everyone may become just a data point in the system.
The only thing one can do is increase one's "system fault tolerance": Don't let life become a subscription service where "supply cut equals zero"; Strive to hold and accumulate your core assets: skills, knowledge, real interpersonal relationships; Don't be an advanced user, be a co-builder of the system.
Seeing the underlying logic of the "Kill Line" is not to laugh at those who fall, but to protect oneself at the edge of the cliff and truly reach out when others fall. A civilized society shouldn't just have skyscrapers, but also a safety net that catches everyone who falls.
Thanks for watching. If you don't want to be a user cancelled by the system, please stay awake. In this SaaS-ized world, I wish you a happy subscription, and may you never go offline.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

Aye didn't read the transcript however,
the length of it interests me because
a thought was that perhaps length is
or can be an issue when responding.

For example, when dolf posts
and a response is attempted, it fails,
with a message telling me a limit was
reached in terms of some number.

Maybe it's like a kill feature.

- ore knots. thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

MiXue fan posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

Seemed to be a type of dystopian future.

Maybe it's like a kill feature.

There is a block feature Newsgrouper has
that was not available to me previously.

Plonk used to be a term used.

Ah the good ole daze.

- Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


eye posted:

MiXue fan posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

Seemed to be a type of dystopian future.

What goes on in the world today, in places
such as Russia or China is not unlike
what went on in the USA a hundred years ago.

To speak out against the government
would not be tolerated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition_Act_of_1918

A possibility exists that, in the future,
rather than a dystopia there may be a return
to more Daoistic ideals. A very small possibility.

Perhaps in less than one hundred years.

- thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

rCLHeavenrCY and rCLHellrCY in American Society rCo Severely Segregated Parallel Worlds

Core Argument:
There is a harsh dividing line in American society that separates communities into rCLHeavenrCY and rCLHell.rCY This division is not just geographic; it is a comprehensive isolation spanning cognition, administration, culture, life expectancy, and political rights. People living in different social strata are like two parallel worlds that remain unknown to each other and disconnected.

I. The First Layer of Isolation: Cognitive and Physical Disconnection
Cognitive Blind Spots:
The poor are often unaware of the existence of wealthy enclaves, and vice versa. This is not just a matter of geography but a cognitive blind spot.
Because public transportation systems (subways, buses) do not cover certain specific areas, and news broadcasts and maps often ignore these places, many people who have lived in a city for their entire lives are unaware that a wealthy or dangerous community exists within it.
Severed Transportation and Road Networks:
Public Transit Disconnection: Certain upscale communities or slums have absolutely no public transportation access.
Physical Road Isolation: Even when driving, you often cannot travel directly from Area A (a slum) to Area B (a wealthy area) via internal roads. You may need to drive to the city outskirts, circle around like an outsider entering the city, and re-enter from another highway junction.
Community Lockdown: Gated high-end communities enforce strict access control. If a carrCOs license plate is not registered in the system, it will be stopped by police or security for questioning. For someone driving a beat-up car or of a different skin color, these communities are absolute no-go zones.
Disparity in Security Levels:
The security firepower in many wealthy residential areas often exceeds that of average U.S. military bases, and carrying weapons is strictly prohibited. For bottom-tier Americans, these places are impenetrable fortresses physically.
II. The Second Layer of Isolation: Administrative and Policy Abandonment rCLNo-Go ZonesrCY at the Bottom:
The government has abandoned administrative power in some extremely impoverished communities. Here, there are no police stations, no hospitals, no fire departments, and no post offices.
Grassroots governance is entirely taken over by gangs or local armed groups. Government employees are explicitly told not to enter these areas and to work from home because the government cannot guarantee their safety.
Abandonment of Infrastructure:
In urban planning and future development, these areas are treated as non-existent voids. Power grids, water pipes, and road repairs receive no investment; effectively, they are abandoned to rot and self-destruct as rCLownerless land.rCY
Legalized Segregation:
This isolation is legal and compliant with municipal planning. When planning roads, wealthy areas and slums are simply not connected. This is a systemic product dating back to the American colonial period.
III. The Third Layer of Isolation: The Cultural Chasm and Life Expectancy Gap Complete Cultural Segregation:
Unlike Chinese society, different social classes in the U.S. share no common cultural topics. The consumption and discussions of the underclass are completely unknown or despised by the elite.
For example, universities contain a mix of elite geniuses (comparable to top students at Tsinghua) and those who are functionally illiterate (rCLdouble-headed cannibalsrCY), with absolutely no cultural common ground between them.
Extreme Disparity in Life Expectancy:
This is the most terrifying aspect. Life expectancy in wealthy areas can reach 80, 90, or even 100 years, allowing for long-term planning.
In slums, life expectancy may be only 30 to 40 years. Violent environments, lack of healthcare, and accidental deaths make rCLsurviving to adulthoodrCY a luxury.
Values Distorted by Life Expectancy:
When a person believes their grandfather and father died at 40, they wonrCOt plan for the long term; they will pursue immediate gratification (e.g., drugs, violence).
Consequently, the poor have no interest in long-term policies like rCLinvesting in education for the next century.rCY Compared to immediate benefits like drug legalization or cash handouts, long-term promises hold no appeal. This rCLlive fast, die youngrCY reality creates a vicious cycle of hedonism and crime.
IV. The Fourth Layer of Isolation: Political Power and Capital Control
The Illusion of rCLOne Person, One VoterCY:
Although the poor population is massive due to high birth rates, elections in gang-controlled, unsafe areas are plagued by fraud, threats, and even murder. Voters often cannot change the status quo even if they do manage to vote.
Short-sighted Policy Demands:
Due to short lifespans, voters prefer short-term benefits (e.g., welfare checks, drug legalization). Politicians cater to this to win votes.
Ultimate Control by Capital:
The true dividing line is the law and wealth. No matter who the masses vote for, candidates from both major parties usually have a pre-existing consensus not to harm the interests of capitalists.
The wealthy do not need to outnumber the poor; they control those who make the rules. Regardless of whether the voters choose the Democratic or Republican candidate, the wealthy class always wins.
Conclusion:
The segregation of American society involves not only physical separation but also a comprehensive rupture spanning cognition, administration, culture, life expectancy, and political rights. The rich live in a heaven of longevity and safety, while the poor are trapped in a hell of premature death and chaos. The two sides do not understand each other, and this is the cruelest reality of the United States.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

According to Lao A's video narration, condense this passage into a short text.

LetrCOs get to the main topic;

This Halloween night really got my brain boiling. It was a freezing, icy Halloween in Seattle. That day, I didnrCOt really do anything during the day. I was with my godson and his father, Redneck. We went out together to buy thingsrCobuying a huge amount of candy, lots of small snacks, and other treats. We thought that when the American kids came over, theyrCOd have something to fill their stomachs with. rCLTrick or treat,rCY right? You just give them candy, and thatrCOs the normal process.

But the weatherrCoit was both lucky and unlucky. It was freezing rain; the rain was coming down incredibly hard, and there were even flood warnings in parts of Seattle. I say it was lucky because, with such heavy rain, most people wouldnrCOt come out, and I wouldnrCOt have to see a bunch of miserable kids asking me for food. But it was unlucky because the extremely poor kids would be the ones to come out regardless. Why? Because they were starving, and with the freezing rain, they might go door-to-door just to get some candy or find something to eat to warm themselves up.

Unfortunately, the Biden administrationrCOs operations and the struggle between the two political parties have nearly destroyed American society. Food stamps arenrCOt being distributed, prices are skyrocketing, and jobs are scarce. ThatrCOs the situation here in Seattle.

The rain was heavy. The temperature was around 8 or 9 degrees Celsius (around 40s-50s F), but with the humidity nearly 100%, the rCLfeels likerCY temperature was much lower. The children in SeattlerCoat least the ones in my arearCohad to endure this rain to come out and beg for candy.

IrCOll tell you about a few of the kids who left an impression on me. They werenrCOt big, maybe five or six years old. It was around 7:20 PM. We were still eating dinner. We had started eating around 6:00 or 6:30. We were having a simple meal: hamburgers I made with ground beef and cheese, and some fries.

I was lying to myself at first, thinking, rCLWith weather this bad, surely no kids will come to the door.rCY I was saying that when the doorbell suddenly rangrCo*Ding dong ding dong.*

I opened the door and saw three children. They looked about five or six years old, a bit older than my godson. I hadnrCOt let my godson go out trick-or-treating; I wanted him to stay home and eat well. In weather this cold, itrCOs easy to catch a cold or get the flu.

These three kids were just a bit older than my godson. They were wearing those cheap ghost costumes bought from a dollar store. The rain had soaked right through them; the costumes were plastered tight against their bodies. They were shivering. Their lips were purplerCoalmost the same color as their skin tone. When white people get cold, the blue of the veins under their skin shows very clearly. They were saying rCLTrick or Treat,rCY but they couldnrCOt even speak clearly.

My heart broke right there. I knew there would be people in miserable situations, but I didnrCOt want to see it. But since they were here, I had to help. I put the fresh, hot hamburger I was eating onto a table by the door to free my hands to get the candy. I noticed the kid was staring at me intently. At first, I thought he was looking at me, but I realized he was staring at the hamburger. When I held it, he watched my hand; when I put it on the table, he watched the table; when I picked it up again, his eyes followed it. He wasnrCOt looking at me; he was hungry, and he was staring at the food. He was too young to hide that kind of desire in his eyes.

There were three of them: two small ones and an older one who looked about seven or eight. The older one told the little one, rCLStop staring at the hamburger; theyrCOre giving us candy.rCY But for that first wave of three kids, I couldnrCOt just give them candy. I realized they didnrCOt want candy; they wanted a meal. I gave each of them a bag of chipsrCosnacks I had bought for my godson. As soon as they left, I pulled out my phone and ordered food. I ordered thirty or forty Big Mac meals. I realized there were probably many kids out there who hadnrCOt eaten. I called the restaurant to rush the order.

While waiting for the delivery, more waves of children came. They were just like the first grouprCothey werenrCOt interested in candy. They stared at my hamburger or my fries. It was that obvious. You have to understand, brothers: when you make hamburgers and fries at home, that smell of grease fills the room. It smells exactly like the kitchen at McDonaldrCOs. A lot of Chinese people donrCOt like that smell; they think itrCOs too greasy and overpowering. But let me tell you, when you are starving, that smell smells amazing. Imagine those poor kids standing in the freezing ice and rain, shivering, and the moment I open the door, they are hit with the warm scent of fatty meat and fried potatoes. You understand? Some of their eyes literally lit up when they smelled it. Others started salivating heavily. The instinctive desire for food when you are starving cannot be hidden. It brings tears to your eyes. Seeing the expressions on those childrenrCOs faces made me feel terrible. So, I bought those thirty or forty meals.

The delivery driver who came was a rCLdriverrCY in the loosest senserCoa Black lady in her fifties. She asked why I ordered so much food. I told her there were many hungry kids in the community, that food stamps had stopped, and the weather was cold. She gave me a hug and said, rCLYourCOre a good kid.rCY I asked why she was out delivering so late. She said she had no choice; she needed to bail her son out of jail. He was in for stealing cars. ItrCOs hard for that lady, working so late. I gave her one of the meals and said, rCLAuntie, please, you eat this. You havenrCOt eaten tonight either.rCY She thanked me and said, rCLI really havenrCOt eaten tonight.rCY

As the night went on, more kids came. The smell attracted them like a beacon. I asked the kids directly: rCLAre you hungry?rCY They would say yes, so I gave them a meal. But then a problem arose: I had placed the order after the first wave arrived, so even with priority shipping, it took about thirty to forty minutes to arrive. During that time, several batches of kids had come to the door. When some kids saw others getting hamburgers, word spread, and some kids couldnrCOt resist coming back to ask for more. I know itrCOs rude to ask for seconds, but they were so hungry they couldnrCOt help it. They would say, rCLIrCOm still hungry, can I have another?rCY I couldnrCOt say no. Let the kids eat. When people are starving, theyrCOre like animalsrCodoesnrCOt matter where theyrCOre from.

There was a little Black kid, slightly chubby, about seven or eight years old. When I gave him a meal, he asked, rCLCan you give me another?rCY I asked why. He said, rCLIrCOm still not full. My brother is out there trick-or-treating too; can I take one to him?rCY I asked how old his brother was. He said his brother was in college but was out there too. I said, rCLOkay, take two.rCY You might ask, why is a poor kid fat? That shows you donrCOt understand America. The poorer the class, the fatter they are, because all they can eat is high-sugar, high-fat garbage.

There were even sadder stories. Two boys, maybe twins, with the same face paint on. I think they were brothers. They looked about fourteen or fifteen. They stood at the door, but then they ran out into the rain. They lifted their faces to the sky, letting the freezing rain wash away the makeup. They didnrCOt want me to see them crying. If they hadnrCOt washed it off, I would have been able to see they were crying.

Neighbor Redneck was sitting there with us. He knew every one of these kids. He could tell me whose child was whose, and who was familiar with whom. His mood was terrible. He would point and say, rCLThatrCOs so-and-sorCOs kid; their family canrCOt make it either.rCY Some kids werenrCOt even begging for themselves; they were begging for their parents. The parents were too embarrassed to ask, so they sent the kids to ask for an extra meal. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. What can you say? I gave out thirty or forty meals that night, mostly to small children.

Eventually, the food ran out. I had to turn kids away. It broke my heart.

Americans arenrCOt starving because of a lack of food production. There is plenty of grain. It is a lack of morality. ThatrCOs the truth, brothers. The local churches do help, and I know IrCOm not a saint. IrCOm just an ordinary guy. I did what I could for the people around me.

But let me tell you, the worst part is what comes after. I felt terrible then, but I felt even worse later. This ice rain was going to last for over a dayrCofrom the night of the 31st through the 1st. I donrCOt know how many homeless people will die this weekend. Come Monday, I really donrCOt want to go to the church.

You think they just die of exposure? No. ItrCOs the flu, fever, pneumonia, and Covid. These people have terrible health to begin with. The thing I hate seeing the most is a homeless guy on the street suddenly coughing up a mouthful of blood and collapsing. No one dares go near him because the blood is a biohazard. In this freezing rain, pneumonia spreads easily. The dirty water gets into eyes and noses.

I saw a scenario in my head: A homeless man on the street coughing up blood. The other homeless people scatter. He is on all fours, like a beast, coughing blood into the rain. He passes out, wakes up, coughs more, and eventually dies right there on the street, alone in the freezing rain.

This ice rain turns corpses into biohazards. If they have pneumonia or Covid, the decomposition process is terrifying.

And itrCOs not like they can get medicine. In China, you can buy cheap antibiotics at any pharmacy. In the US, you can only buy hard drugs or painkillers. Amoxicillin costs fifty or sixty dollars a bottle. ItrCOs cheaper to buy heroin. The poor have no access to the medicine that could save them from a simple flu turning into fatal pneumonia.

I sometimes think about the Monday headlines. Will the bodies be treated as biohazards? Usually, the police canrCOt handle it, so they call the university where I work, and we handle it.

This country is divided. The elites think one way, the poor another. The trade agreements with Europe go until 2029, but it doesnrCOt matter. The manufacturing is coming back. I heard Europeans online spreading rumors that China is the bad guy, but the reality is they are realizing they need us.

ItrCOs a mess. Sometimes I think about the game *Hades* and the rCLPercentage KillrCY mechanic. These people are already at 1% health; the cold rain just finishes them off. They are already at the execution phase. If they survive, they carry so many viruses and bacteria they are like labs for disease.

ItrCOs hell. Florida is hot, a natural breeding ground for viruses. Seattle is cold, a freezing hell where the poor are left to die in the rain.

That was my rCLIce and Snow Halloween.rCY I will never forget it.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

According to Lao A's video narration, condense this passage into a short text.

Strange tales. They suggest a sort
of fifty-cent army type of material.

Since returning to post messages here
there were a few pertaining to Daojia.
Most all were more like propaganda.

In the past, the propaganda was leaning
toward how great and wonderful China is.
The recent batch is more USA bashing.

Perspectives vary.

- hmmm ...
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

Perspectives vary.

The Zhuangzi provides a skeptical view.

Skeptical perspectival relativism
is what the text was called at least
once upon a time.

A form of a ChatGPT wrote:

<< Zhuangzi consistently undermines claims to fixed,
final knowledge. Assertions about right/wrong, useful/useless,
life/death, self/other are shown to shift with standpoint.
Famous passages rCothe rCLthis/thatrCY (uy>/oYR) debates, the butterfly dream, the debate over fish happinessrCo work by exposing how confidence depends
on where one stands. >>

Being paid to publish propaganda
might be a job with some benefit.
Perhaps more than one.

Dualities arrive in mind. Carving,
chopping, to dice and mince words.

To be in the day, as some may say,
sounds like a plan for me. A form
of how, of what, where and when.

Who knows without words.
Why could evaporate.

And yet, reason returns.
Reasons return. Why here.
As if there were a here now.

A reader reads and is
where the reader is.

The writer could be any
where at once upon a time.

- thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


eye posted:

A form of a ChatGPT wrote:

<< Zhuangzi ... Assertions ... work
by exposing how confidence depends on where one stands. >>

How confident a reader or a writer is
in terms of what one has learned or was
told more than once upon a time may well vary.

Aye is reminded of Chapter 17.

- thanks! Cheers!
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

... of Chapter 17.

A chatbot wrote of:

<< the rCLWell Frog and the SearCY episode in the Zhuangzi,
from the chapter Autumn Floods. The River Lord (u#|E+>, Hebo)
swells with pride during the floods, believing nothing greater exists.

When he reaches the North Sea and meets its rulerrCooften called Ruo (*iN), sometimes identified with the Lord of the North SearCohis confidence collapses.

The sea is vast beyond comparison,
and the riverrCOs former self-importance is exposed as parochial.

The well frog appears as an analogy.
A frog living in a well thinks the well is the whole world.
From inside that perspective, the judgment is perfectly adequate.

The mistake is not having a limited view,
but mistaking that view for the totality of what exists.

The point is not moral condemnation.
The frog is not rCLwrongrCY inside the well.
The error arises when limited perspective
hardens into universal claim. >>
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


eye quoted about:

<< pride ..., believing nothing greater exists. >>

Perhaps, in ancient times, people
who lived on the land forms formed
ideas which suggested none greater
existed and, building walls, might
have not actually believed the tale.

So too in modern times. Lines
are drawn on maps which tend
to separate forms formed.

Ideas and ideals vary.

- thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

The text content comes from the video of YouTuber Lao A


# American Healthcare: The "Slow Cutting" Torture and the Final "Kill Line" Today, we're going to talk about American healthcare rCo the so-called "slow cutting like a blunt knife" refers to the process where you start feeling unwell and want to go to the hospital, only to be tormented by procedures and squeezed by costs step by step until you finally receive a sky-high bill, which is the "kill line" that crushes people. In fact, long before the bill arrives, Americans are already driven to the brink of collapse by the entire healthcare system.

## I. The First Step to Seeking Medical Care: Torment Starts with a Phone Call First, we need to dispel a misunderstanding: in the United States, unless it's a life-threatening emergency or you need an ambulance, you can't just walk into a hospital. You must make an appointment in advance. And the torment begins as soon as you call to describe your symptoms.

Receptionists or nurses in the U.S. healthcare system will require you to describe in extremely detailed terms where you feel unwell, how long you've been in pain, and what your symptoms are. But the problem is that the illiteracy rate in the U.S. exceeds 21%. Many people can't even explain which state they live in or how many seasons there are in a year, let alone clearly describe their medical conditions rCo even many Chinese people can only say "stomach ache" when they go to the hospital, unable to pinpoint the exact organ, and Americans find it even harder.

After struggling to describe your symptoms, the waiting time for an appointment with a general practitioner (GP) is often 50 days, 60 days, or even 8 working weeks (far more than two months), with an average waiting time of nearly 94 days. In some cases, it can take half a year to 8 months. Some international students say that getting an appointment within two months is already "giving you face."

What if you can't wait that long? The healthcare system will prescribe opioid painkillers rCo such as Vicodin, OxyContin, and MS Contin rCo euphemistically saying "to relieve pain first." Most Americans simply can't stand the pain and have to take them, laying the groundwork for subsequent addiction.

## II. Working Sick + Drug Dependence: The Unavoidable Third Layer of Torment Taking painkillers isn't the end of it; what's more tormenting is having to "pretend to be healthy." Many American companies will fire employees as soon as they hear they're sick. So even if you have inflammation or are in pain, you have to grit your teeth and keep working or studying with the help of painkillers, and this can go on for months.

I knew an American classmate who studied chemistry. He had a severe muscle injury but still had to work heavy manual labor at a construction site to pay for his tuition, otherwise he would be kicked out of his accommodation and drop out of school. He had to rely on his professional knowledge to accurately calculate the dosage of painkillers, hovering between "not dying" and "being able to endure the pain," and even taught himself pharmacology to save himself. He booked an appointment in October and had to wait until February of the next year to see a doctor, and in the meantime, he could only rely on painkillers to hold on.

There's also the son of the redneck guy I mentioned earlier. After being rescued from acute pneumonia and COVID-19, he wanted to go back to work at the dock relying on painkillers. The redneck guy got into a fight with his son for the first time, firmly refusing to let him touch such things rCo "I saved you to let you live a good life, not to let you take painkillers and kill yourself." But many Americans don't have family members to dissuade them, and they can only sink deeper and deeper into addiction.

## III. From General Practitioner to Specialist: An Endless Cycle of Waiting and Spending
After finally enduring the waiting time and seeing a general practitioner, the doctor will only do a simple examination and chat for a few minutes before telling you, "You need to see a specialist," and then making you book another appointment rCo another two to three months of waiting. This visit to the GP already costs nearly $10,000, and it's just an "appetizer."

When you finally see a specialist, the process becomes even more cumbersome: first, you're asked to get a CT scan, X-ray, and laboratory tests. But these tests aren't done at the same facility; they're often scattered across three different places with different fee standards. What's worse, most of these facilities aren't affiliated with the hospital covered by your insurance. You have to pay upfront (even if you have to take out a loan) and then go through the reimbursement process later.

Moreover, you also have to wait for the test appointments: laboratory tests take half a month, CT scans take a month, and X-rays take two months. After completing all the tests and receiving the results, it takes another two to three months. This entire process takes another six months or even eight months. Adding to the previous waiting time, it has already been more than a year to two years since you first felt unwell and received the test results, yet you haven't even taken a single antibiotic rCo and this is the ideal scenario where your condition hasn't worsened.

## IV. Worsening Condition or Surgery: The "Accelerator" for Sky-High Bills
If your condition doesn't worsen, after receiving the results and wanting to have surgery, you have to book another appointment rCo getting it within six months is already considered fast. If your condition deteriorates during this period, you can only continue to be prescribed stronger painkillers, with increasing doses, deeper addiction, and naturally higher costs.

If your condition suddenly worsens and you pass out and are taken away by an ambulance, that's even more of a "disaster." First, you have to pray that the ambulance is affiliated with the medical group covered by your insurance; otherwise, you have only two choices: either pay the full amount or be transferred to another hospital. But when you're unconscious, how can you choose? The hospital will rescue you first and then send the bill later. There have been cases where an emergency surgery plus ambulance fees resulted in a bill of $300,000. If you can't pay it, you can only pay in installments rCo a 30-year installment plan with an interest rate of over 8%. With compound interest, you'll never be able to pay it off in your lifetime.

Even if the surgery is successful, a condition that has been delayed for too long will leave malignant complications and sequelae. Throughout the process, you also have to take time off repeatedly to see a doctor and get tests, but American hospitals are closed on weekends, so you can only take time off on weekdays. If you're lucky, you'll only have your salary deducted and lose your bonus; if you're unlucky, you'll be fired directly, and even lose your medical insurance, making the situation even worse.

## V. The Final "Kill Line": Sky-High Bills and Moral Dilemmas
After all the procedures are completed, two to three years have passed. What does the patient get? A body trapped in drug addiction, a physically and mentally exhausted state, and a bill of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars rCo and this is the "best-case scenario." If you're fired midway, your medical insurance is cut off, or your claim is rejected by the insurance company, your situation will only be worse.

What's even more frustrating is that 66% of bankruptcies in the U.S. are caused by medical debt, and 72% of bankrupts actually have medical insurance. However, insurance companies will find various reasons to deny claims rCo such as "you didn't first try the cheapest medical plan" rCo taking premiums but not providing coverage. The U.S. has only 320 million legal residents, but 137 million people are burdened with medical debt, which means nearly one in two people are crushed by medical costs.

What if you can't pay the bill? Either pay in installments for the rest of your life, or beg the doctor for a reduction. But doctors are also in a difficult position: medical consortia will label doctors who "sympathize with patients and help reduce fees," deduct their salaries, and transfer them to bad positions. Faced with patients holding hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills, tears in their eyes, begging for help (some elderly couples even hold crosses and pray "help us in the name of God"), doctors either go against their conscience to keep their jobs or stick to their principles and become poor doctors, enduring moral torture every day.

The U.S. healthcare system is also systematically eliminating conscientious doctors who want to heal the sick and deliberately cultivating "hard-heartedness" among practitioners rCo professors will clearly tell medical students to "abandon part of their humanity" to adapt to the "indifference" under American values.

## VI. Absurd "Ways to Survive" and Collapsed Values
To see a doctor, some Americans are driven to absurd measures: getting free treatment through gender reassignment surgery. Most examinations and treatments related to gender reassignment are free in the U.S., but they require stable physical indicators to undergo. So some desperate people sign up for gender reassignment surgery, first using the free examinations and treatments to cure their illnesses, then undergoing gender reassignment rCo even if they have to take medication for life, they think "it's better to be alive than dead," which is full of black humor.

What's more terrifying is that American healthcare is profoundly changing people's values. The redneck guy's family has had soldiers for three generations, but he firmly refuses to let his son join the military rCo because his parents were forced to sell their farm and take on huge medical debts, eventually dying from overwork. While he was fighting desperately on the battlefield in the Middle East, his parents committed suicide by drinking pesticide because they couldn't afford medical bills, and the root cause of all this is the "medical bill that no one can avoid."

Those patriotic, idealistic, strong, and educated young people are either crushed by medical debt or completely disappointed in the country, which is also an important reason why the quality of U.S. military recruits is getting lower and lower.

## VII. The Truth About American Healthcare: A "Meat Grinder" Controlled by Consortiums
Today, in the United States, large consortia control more than two-thirds of hospitals. The medical industry accounts for a quarter of GDP, with industry revenue reaching $1.4 trillion, higher than that of commercial banks ($1.2 trillion). Pharmaceuticals, insurance, and hospitals form an interest chain that not only exploits patients but also hospitals rCo hospitals must pay huge premiums to insurance companies to operate; otherwise, they can't open their doors.

The so-called "going to the U.S. to be a doctor is a good choice" is also an illusion: the total cost of studying in a U.S. medical school is about $2 million. After graduation, the starting salary is about $300,000 in the first year, stabilizing at $600,000, and reaching about $800,000 a year in your 50s and 60s, but the tax rate is extremely high. More importantly, to study medicine and become a doctor in the U.S., a letter of recommendation is a "necessity" rather than an "option." You must start networking, pulling strings, and currying favor with professors from the first day of school to get a letter of recommendation, which can help you get into a good hospital. Otherwise, you will most likely spend millions of dollars and still be eliminated.

In the final analysis, American healthcare is not a system for "healing the sick and saving the dying," but a "meat grinder" where large consortia harvest ordinary people rCo from the layers of torment starting with appointments, to the hidden trap of drug dependence, and finally to the "kill line" of sky-high bills, pushing people step by step towards bankruptcy, homelessness, and even death. This is why some international students would rather spend money on airfare to fly back to China for medical treatment than go through this "slow cutting" torment in the United States.
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MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

Compiled and simplified into an article based on the recording of Lao A's livestream.


Fighting for Money: The US Army

I frequently ate with the US military veteran stationed in Iraq, Redneck Doug. I asked him, "Your internal military pay is so low, so how do you guys survive?"
He said there were other ways to live, like selling bullets. I asked him in surprise, "Are there really no soldiers who don't sell bullets?" He said he had never seen any. Around the US military bases, there were countless Arab merchants buying bullets.
Although the prices were cheap and it was practically giving them away, they had no choice; they had to sell bullets just to buy a Coke. These bullets would most likely end up in the hands of Iraqi militias or the Taliban. I asked if their officers didn't care. He looked at me with a strange expression and said, "How could they manage it? It was the officers who pointed us new recruits out on where to sell the bullets."
I asked, "Then what excuse do you use to apply for ammunition?" He said no excuse was needed; just saying "for personal use" was enough. I asked again, "You don't report target practice? You don't pick up the shell casings?" He said no need; even though there were regulations, they were useless.
I asked again, "What's the most extreme thing that gets sold?" He said they once lost an armored vehicle from the warehouse. Once, they went out on a mission and returned to find that two vehicles that should have been in the garage were gone, leaving only two spare tires. In cases like this, the officer wasn't punished but actually promoted. Some heavy weapons teams even sold their heavy machine guns, just taking them off the vehicle. No one checks anyway.
What did they do with the money earned from selling things? Drinking. Alcohol was sold openly in the barracks. Although there were limits, they could buy at high prices outside. The Arab merchants' smuggling capabilities were extreme; they had every kind of alcohol, and the officers didn't care about regulations at all. When I explained the strict discipline of the PLA (People's Liberation Army), Doug was shocked and commented, "How can there be such an army in the world? I've never heard of it."
Besides alcohol, they could find women. Most of these prostitutes were trafficked from places like Lebanon and treated like goods. If trouble arose, like shooting a prostitute, they usually only got confined to quarters for half a month, and this wasn't an isolated case. Doug suspected this human trafficking trade might even be organized by high-level US military officials, because it operated openly around the barracks without inspection, and no one cared if prostitutes died.
When the situation was tense, ammunition became a hard currency even more ruthless than money, and could even be used to pay for prostitutes. Brothels run by militias or guerrillas generally only accepted military supplies. The soldiers didn't care at all, feeling that "as long as I had my fun, it's fine." As for the MP inspections, as long as you paid, it could be settled. Give enough to the MPs, save enough for the "bosses" (officers), and split the rest among yourselves. Finally, the command even issued a document "legalizing" these behaviors, claiming no military discipline was violated.
Speaking of the system, Doug told a joke about where the nuclear bombs went. Most nuclear bombs were not distributed to military bases but were guarded by the so-called "Heavenly Soldiers" stationed thererCowho were actually just local security forces. Local rich people had an idea; using the excuse of having an underground garage at home, they would ask soldiers to bring the nuclear bombs over to "store for a few days" and give them a subsidy. Just like that, nuclear bombs were taken to private homes.
In terms of entertainment, besides drinking and watching movies, they would go "hunting" outside the city. This was actually just an excuse to sweep through suburban residential areas. As long as they claimed a place was harboring guerrillas, they could enter the village. Regardless of whether evidence was found, no one would know once people were dead. The empty houses after the sweeps would be occupied by unidentified outsiders, rendering the household registration system useless. Checking IDs was also a way to make money; adults paid 20 USD, children 5 USD. If they couldn't pay or if their appearance didn't match the ID, it depended entirely on the soldier's moodrCoif the mood was bad, they might just shoot. The US military couldn't tell those bearded men named "Muhammad" apart anyway and could find fault at will. This behavior forced many people to carry out suicide attacks, so Doug never participated in these to save his life, while others took the risk for the high income (hundreds of dollars a night).
Selling intelligence was also a source of income. Defense maps, patrol schedules, minefield maps, and other high-precision maps could all be sold to guerrillas. There was even a phenomenon of "nurturing the enemy to emphasize one's own importance." Soldiers competed with each other; if you didn't sell, someone else would. The later the maps were sold, the higher the precision, which meant in the later stages, the US military couldn't fight at all and could only passively take rocket fire.
I asked them, "If an army plunders surrounding villages every day, aren't you afraid that the guerrillas will increase and you'll fall into a counter-insurgency quagmire?" Doug said they didn't read military tactics at all. The US military got in via recommendation letters and didn't understand Sun Tzu's Art of War. When selling maps, they would even intentionally create traps, making each copy different so the other side would buy several copies.
Logistically, US military MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) were also bestsellers. No one ate them; they were all sold to guerrillas, and they even taught them how to heat them up. As for the taste of MREs, it was like various foods stewed together and then heated inside a vacuum bag. Even the cafeteria's fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and buttered bread were taken to the black market for sale; these items were more useful than US dollars.
The most outrageous thing was selling quotas for the puppet forces. Local warlords would bribe officers to become puppet force commanders, then bring all the young men of their tribe into the barracks, turning the puppet forces into private armies. Officers made money by selling organizational slots; they could even sell the designation number of a battalion twice. The equipment was paid for by the state, while the money went into personal pockets. Everyone from top to bottom got a share, even the instructors. The organization was entirely fake, made up according to the size of the tribe; sometimes a company had more people than a battalion. Officers could even repeatedly sell the same battalion designation number to different people to collect equipment. As long as there was money, anything could be sold; there was no such thing as something that couldn't be sold.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

Lao A Talks About the Zero-Wise Elders and Two-Headed Cannibal Wizards Raised in Captivity


Some ask, "How do you encounter these Cthulhus?" As an ordinary Chinese person with relatively low spiritual power, when I come to the US to study, live, or do business, how do I encounter these things? It is simple, it happens right on the street, especially when you want to do a good deed. The classic Chinese international student sees an American homeless man in a miserable state. Relying on the nature they brought from a socialist country, they go and ask, "Old man, what happened to you? How did you end up wandering the streets? What happened to your wound?" This homeless man will most likely tell you, "I don't know."
Many Chinese students will then ask, "How can you not know?" He is speechless, and you are speechless too. "You have fallen to this state, and you don't know how you became what you are today?" I tell you, many of them simply don't know. The vast majority of middle and lower-class Americans truly do not know. Let me tell you, for example, I can calculate money for you. If something involves a certain amount, and you do this, you lose that money. When this happens, Chinese people think, isn't this normal? Why not just not do it?
I am sorry, but the vast majority of Americans, or the vast majority of middle and lower-class Americans, do not know this. They have never learned it since childhood. Remember that woman? She said she used to make a lot of money, but she just wanted to travel. When traveling, she quit her job, even though she had no savings. When some Chinese people posted this video at the time, the comments were full of anger, saying, "Is this woman an idiot? She clearly has no savings, clearly has a job, how can she quit her job to travel?" Some asked, why would she travel when she obviously has no money or savings, or even quit her job to travel?
Because no one ever taught her that she should save money, or that she should travel only on the premise of keeping her job. When you are instilled from childhood with so-called "freedom" and "democracy"rCoI want to do what I want, a kind of unfettered, innocent naivetyrCoand those who control the rhythm, or the situation, schools and social education institutions, they generally tell you: Do what you want to do, you will definitely succeed. Imagine what kind of worldview you construct when you grow up surrounded by these things.
So, what do they teach in their education? It is simple, they teach some "low-spirit" things. Sometimes, what are "low-spirit" things? It is not teaching the truth of the world, which lacks rationality and is dominated by emotion. When they conduct surveys, speak languages, or do things for the lower class, there are often no direct numbers. The most classic manifestation is the grading system, a grading system without scores: A, B, C, D. He is an A, you are an A; he is a B, you are a B; he is a B+, you are an A-. You are an A.
There is no specific score. Otherwise, what's the point? "You are great," and "You are great too." Tell me, what is the difference between "great" and "very great"? What is the difference between "good" and "very good"? Especially when writing reports for the lower class, or those with low education, they often lack direct data. The lower class lives in a chaotic, or soft bubble. This applies to the grading system, the diet system, and the vast majority of things.
There is no clear concept, no clear numbers, no clear rules. Or at least the vast majority of you, when in school, the teacher will give you a Syllabus, right? Syllabus? It has a comparison table, showing how many points an A is, how many points a B is, how many points a C is. But it will not show you the specific score, it will only give you A, B, C, or D.
70 points is a B, 80 points is a B, anything above 80 is an A.
They do not give you a specific number; 95 points and 80 points are both an A. It is a kind of soft, flexible, unreal, not-so-sharp illusion. Sometimes they say this is because of equality. Let me tell you, it has nothing to do with equality, nor is it equality. I explicitly tell you what your score is and what your grade looks like. In the US, this is impossible. Sometimes, they live in this illusory bubble from childhood. They never teach children that saving money is right. Or perhaps they taught it before, but now due to changing times, they don't teach it anymore. This is a hot topic in American schools now.
The University of Oklahoma Student Protests Over a Zero-Grade Bible Thesis.
A student wrote a thesis about the Bible that was complete nonsense. The professor gave him a zero, saying it had no academic meaning. Then the students protested. Isn't this anti-intellectual? Guess what they said? "How dare you give me a zero? I wrote about the Bible." I looked at the original text; it was nonsense, punctuation and all symbols were wrong. And what did the students protest? "You cannot give him such a low grade." I saw this on Bilibili, TikTok, and YouTube. They live in this illusory bubble forever.
He thinks what he wrote is excellent. Imagine this group of people entering society; their bubble will be quickly burst. Why do you think such people can find jobs? They treat a book of scripture devoid of divinity as a standard, regarding the image of a virtuous god in true history as something to protect them, to fight against the true Ancient Gods. In the adult world, this is a slave society within a theocratic empire. Their bubble is easily shattered; they are utterly unprepared for all crises in a real high-spirit society, yet they step into society just like that.
That bubble will burst very, very quickly, and then they can't accept reality. The professor actually did just one thing: he popped their bubble. The professor just told them: Look up at the starry sky, look at the moon, how many eyes does it have? That's right. So, why are they frantically opposing the professor? Their bubble has been burst. Is this kind of behavior considered a "giant baby"? I tell you, it is no longer giant baby behavior; it is a group hysteria.
It is not just one student with this cognition; it is a group of people. These students actually don't know or understand what that idiotic "Soul Bible Thesis" looks like; they just treat the Bible as their standard. They have no rational thinking ability in their brains. But society is cruel, and there are too many people who are bad at math and have no rational thinking ability. Sometimes, being bad at math doesn't stop you from getting into college. Yes, brothers. Just as I said, there are "Two-Headed Wizards" and "Zero-Wise Elders" in the school. At the university stage, I still protect and teach them.
Imagine them stepping into society. Sometimes, why do so many Americans live such miserable lives? It is because they can't do math, they have no basic logical thinking ability. Math is so important, so important. If they were even a little better at math, they would know not to take certain loans. If they were a little better at math, they would know not to use certain Cash Apps. If they were better at math, they should know that 1/3 is bigger than 1/4. Americans really think 1/4 is bigger than 1/3. Wendy's is a famous American hamburger brand. They introduced a burger with a 1/3 pound patty; the standard patty is 1/4 pound. When Wendy's advertised this excitedly, they found it didn't sell and was even boycotted. Why? Because the majority of Americans think 1/3 is smaller than 1/4. This is something that actually happened in the US. They cannot perceive the real world outside the bubble, the reality governed by physical rules.
For example, why can American companies now openly fool people? It is simple! So many people are bad at math, they have no brains, they aren't taught, from childhood all the way up. Everyone is deceiving you. Some say it is education, but it is more than education. Everyone tells you that you are excellent, when in fact you are not. Everyone has to deceive you. For example, with 1/3 and 1/4, if they don't understand, that's bad. 1/3 is 33%, 1/4 is 25%. Can you understand that now? Right, one is 0.33, one is 0.25. Can you understand now? White people living in the center of their own worldrCoyes, themrCothey are actually incredibly stupid. Their stupidity and ignorance will affect their development in real life. This is the case for the vast majority of the American bottom or middle-lower class. Some say they are cheated and even help count the money. You are wrong; they only get cheated; they can't even count money.
Do you know how waiters in American restaurants split tips? When I first got there, sometimes I would go out to eat late at night, just before closing, and I could see waiters there splitting tips. There are two types of tips: electronic ones from credit cards, which are split by the backend, and cash tips, which are split face-to-face. Let me tell you how Americans calculate this. They don't look at the numbers; they look at the types: the 20s, the 10s, the 5s, the 1-dollar coins. They sort them by graphics, by this method.
Then what happens? "You take one, I take one." First split the 1s: you take one, I take one, you take one, I take one. Two people as a group: you take one, I take one. Then the 5s: you take one, I take one... It is equivalent to what? It is like primitive people dividing fruit; they are primitive people. You take one, I take one, you take one, I take one, unable to calculate.
It made my friend and me dizzy,E+atfNoUooEu? When I first went to America, I hadn't seen this. Also, buying something for 97 dollars, you give them 100, then give them 2 dollars, and they don't know to give you back 5 dollars. Their math level is just this kind of ability. Everyone tells them their math grades are very good. High schoolers and college students who can't even do mixed arithmetic correctlyrCoteachers have to put on a smiling face and tell them, "You learned well, your math is really great, you will definitely become a genius, a math genius." Now you know why those "Two-Headed Cannibal Wizards" I teach are so confident? They can just walk into chemistry and biology classes so easily. Such high-end STEM subjects. Why is their rationality missing? They have no value system, no system of digital rationality. They don't know that what they know is actually retarded. They lack this rationality; they have been treated like idiots and deceived since childhood.
They are stupid yet confident. University is the last place they can modify their stupidity. This group of ignorant, foolish people exists in large numbers in American society, and they are very confident. Its origin is because their industry is failing, so there is no demand, and education naturally declines.
They live perfectly in this bubble of rational absence. Moreover, you say they don't teach science or math, fine, but what do they learn?
They learn the Bible. Why are Americans so triggered, and why are the topics so hot? Many Americans' worldview has collapsed. Why do they learn the Bible from childhood? They treat the Bible as real history, real events that happened on Earth as the standard. American idiots believe the age of the earth is very low, no more than 2000 years. Why? Because it was the year 0, Jesus created the earth and the world, so the earth cannot be more than 2000 years old. They think all your various things are fake. Why? Because the earth simply isn't that old; how can you have artifacts over 2000 years old?
Don't ask with question marks; this is the real worldview and cognition of many Americans. Does Noah's Ark in the Bible exist? What evidence is there to prove Noah's Ark exists? It is idealistic. They live in this illusory bubble constructed by scriptures since childhood, a book of scripture devoid of divinity. Worshipping a god who has never shown true kindness, rather than relying on reason. So speaking of which, since Americans' knowledge level is so low, should I consider playing a small trick on them when I go out to have fun?
Now you know why they hate us, right? They think: "I dare not hit the white upper class, the clever upper-class white masters, but I dare not hit you, little monkey?" You ask how long this stupidity of theirs will last? Until they wander the streets. Then you pity them and ask, "What happened to you?" And he tells you he doesn't know why he was cheated. He signed a debt he couldn't repay in decades, bought a car and was cheated again (actually it's not called cheating, he has no awareness of what cheating is), and bought a house.
Some ask, "How could you sign such a contract?" He says, "I thought it was low at the time, so I signed it." You can really just cheat them freely. Think about it, when they step into society, who are they facing? Those born into elite families who have "grinded" through life for years. They are good at calculation, understand music, politics, history, and law, are good at analysis, skilled in calculation, and know how to collect data. They analyze these idiots at the bottom clearly. Some people always think the American upper class is arrogant, but if your grassroots are all such idiots, you would be arrogant too.
In all our stories or some novel plots, do we often see this? Some masters desperately look for a successor to pass on their skills or techniques, even if they die, the successor must live? In China, no matter how poor you are, you must send your child to school, even "poor family, rich road" (providing well for the child), just so the child can get a good education. Have you ever seen in American TV shows an old master who would not hesitate to die to pass on his skills? In China, no one thinks there is a problem with doing this.
In China, it's mainly that some people didn't study hard; it's definitely not that they weren't taught. In the US, they don't even teach it. "Can't use a calculator, isn't that normal?" Some people misunderstand calculators.
This is the calculator we use. Do you think how many of these idiots at the bottom of the US can use this thing? You even have to teach them specifically how to use it. Haven't you been to high school? You can understand it, right? The premise is you went to a Chinese high school. American universities use these things. When a "Two-Headed Lion Wizard" gets this thing, he looks at you in despair. He says he doesn't recognize it; except for the numbers, he doesn't recognize a single symbol. It takes a long time just to teach them the labels on top. Actually, friends here just need to imagine how they felt when they first saw a Casio scientific calculator in the first year of junior high after elementary school, and you can understand.
But not being able to press basic arithmetic functions is just ridiculous. Let me explain the mentality of those American elites to you. I have grinded, fought, and struggled for ten or more years, just like Chinese students, even more than Chinese students, grinding my brain for ten or twenty years, and I learned it all. You tell me the American middle and lower class are all idiots, if I don't cheat them hard, would I be worthy of myself? You, a Chinese student, why do I say that as long as you study normally in China and come to the US, you have a sense of superiority? Your sense of superiority is even uncontrollable; you definitely have a sense of superiority.
It's just: "Why are you so stupid?! Why are you all Cthulhus?" You don't even need to hurt them. You just stand there, they look at you once, and they go crazy. Their method of learning lacks reason from childhood; they study the Bible and believe in the Bible. The result is that you have grinded through life since childhood and studied STEM fiercely. In the end, you get the position, and they can't take it. You don't even need to squeeze him; you just stand there, and he can't take it. Why? Why did my teachers and parents tell me from childhood that I am an excellent child? Why did this job go to this yellow monkey in the end?
Am I not excellent enough? The things he learned, why have I never learned them from childhood? How did he learn them, right? If I am excellent, then what is he? What is he? An indescribable monster? Why have I never learned this thing in all my life's knowledge and learning? It's not in my textbooks either. There are no records of the existence of such a monster in all his civilization's records. What kind of spell is this? How have I never seen it from childhood? Can you understand now that kind of "breakdown" they have regarding us Chinese? They dare not break down at the American upper-class white masters, but they dare to hiss at us. The American masters don't indulge them either.
"Since you idiots haven't received a rational education since childhood, go to hell. If you don't die, how can you be worthy of my hard work all these years?" You would get angry too. How did such idiots grow so big? When these people fail in social competition, some people pity them and ask, "How did you fall into this state?" He tells you he doesn't know. He says, "I just lived a normal life, I didn't do anything, how did I suddenly fall into this state? Oh, I am so pitiful." Outsiders look at this and think: How can the people in this land not even know what specific suffering happened to them? How can this be? Can't say what they suffered, can't say how the money is gone.
He can't explain anything clearly; everything is indescribable, asking three questions and knowing none. Does he not know? He doesn't know; he hasn't studied math properly since childhood; he simply doesn't know. Their money is too easy to calculate away. Why are they called Cthulhu? It is because they think knowledge is a kind of pollution to them, forbidden knowledge. They don't learn a lot of knowledge and are unwilling to learn. Speaking of learning violates their nature. Is it just like what Liu Cixin wrote in his novels, that the poor and the rich are no longer the same species in a sense? Right. Since they are not the same species, there are no basic conditions for coexistence. In Serice (China), there are things you may not use for a lifetime, but you are absolutely not allowed not to know them for a lifetime. Imagine, in the eyes of Americans, what does this look like? If you can't cook, everyone mocks you; if you fail an exam, parents tease you; we even tease ourselves. Although this isn't right, everyone thinks you can do better. Even everyone puts this into various industries for comparison, and everyone feels they shouldn't lag behind others.
Let me explain, in the eyes of Americans, what does this look like? Oppression. "Oppression!" Making you study hard is oppression. "It oppresses my free nature." They have been educated by the upper class to be very stupid. He doesn't even dare to recall that he was deceived. The set of things he was taught from childhood is actually used by the upper class to deceive him. You see, he thinks it seems like "fool the people education," but actually, it is precisely the opposite. It is not fooling the people; it is that his people are not capable, so they can't teach well. He has no descendants; he has no descendants who can pass on knowledge and experience.
Some people always say, why is the US drug problem so rampant, why is the fentanyl problem so rampant? First of all, because for those living in the cold reality, anyone who understands a little chemistry knows what fentanyl is. But Americans don't know. Americans just know it is a "magical pill." After eating it, it doesn't hurt. In their cognition, if it doesn't hurt, it means it's cured. He doesn't know this thing is a poison; he doesn't know what it is called, or about addiction. If you talk chemistry to him, he doesn't understand what chemistry is at all.
He is so ignorant that with this thing, he just feels comfortable using it. Sometimes it's impossible to be this stupid, but they are. Sometimes. Does he know fentanyl is bad? He knows why eating fentanyl can kill people. It's not that he doesn't know it's bad, but the "bad" he knows is like what? It's like a beast eating something and dying. Other beasts find that eating this thing kills you; it is entirely a beast's instinct. I know this thing is bad, but do you still use it? He says, "I have nothing left, I only have this."
This stuff will cause trouble, but he says, "Using this stuff feels pretty good." What else? For example, drinking bleach. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drinking bleach. Why did he drink it? He didn't know what disinfection meant at all. He just knew their leader said this thing can be drunk, so he drank it. Their ignorance and irrational thinking are beyond your imagination. They just drink it.
"I don't know. The Great Leader told me to drink it, so I drank it." Go look. The origins of all addictive drugs are basically the American continent, including tobacco, Marijuana. About waiters, let me add one more point. In slightly larger restaurants, some waiters are responsible for ordering and serving, or credit card payment. If cash is needed, it must be given to the manager to calculate. Only educated people can be managers because they can count how much was received. Under the double blow of low math ability and English (the code of history), not everyone can figure out how much money they are holding.
Some say, do Americans believe the "Big Win" news Trump posted from the White House? Americans believe it; Americans really believe it. Also, we say the US upper class says "win," these numbers are written there, and Americans believe it. Why? Because they have no concept of numbers. Remember that employment rate thing? New non-farm employment, the decimal point shift, was that too excessive? Actually, it wasn't excessive, because Americans can't understand it. If you tell him, "The kid wrote it wrong, the dot was placed in the wrong spot," most Americans would believe it too.
Why is the American upper class so intolerant of the lower class?
Besides some issues with Anglo-Saxons, if you saw a group of lower-class people like this, you couldn't help but want to cheat them too. (Wow! There are even people willing to be slaves for free.) Speaking of counting, this is also a language advantage for us old Chinese. Every number uses only one syllable, which significantly improves math memory and learning efficiency. For World War II, right? They temporarily pulled those American "geniuses" over for training. I'll tell you how Americans teach, how they teach multiplication: why does two times two equal four?
Do you see this hash mark?
Two horizontal lines multiplied by two vertical lines, their intersections are four. This is called two times two equals four, two times three equals six, two times four equals eight. Do you know how I teach math? I explain it like this: a twenty-year-old young man looks at me explaining this like this, clapping his hands with joy. He finally understands what multiplication is. This multiplication table is in Chinese; you can't memorize it in English. If you look at this picture too much, it gets confusing.
Can you understand now why the two people splitting tips have to go "you take one, I take one"? They can't add them together to get a number and divide by two. They can't.
I also talked about education. We have a bunch of idiot experts promoting so-called "Nature Education." Why does Europe and America promote Nature Education? Their logic point is actually not what Chinese experts blow it up to be. Why? Humans are created by God; their essence is truth, kindness, and beauty. Every child's nature is truth, kindness, and beauty. As long as we don't mess it up and let him keep his nature, he can grow up to be a good person. This is essentially a discourse hegemony of Christian logic. Do you understand? This is a religious logic of idealism. Actually, there is no so-called bullshit Nature Education, understand? That's not called education. That essentially isn't because humans have any educational ability. But humans are holy things created by God, and we Anglo-Saxons, or we Americans, are essentially God's favorites. So our nature, our innate talent, is stronger than other countries, stronger than other nations. We are the best. As long as we let him grow up following God's will, that's fine, understand? It's not like many Chinese experts blow it up, that nature is God-given, so it can't be suppressed.
Some say this nature isn't animalistic. Right, that's after learning biology, right? Don't suppress a child's nature. I used to believe this, but as I get older and understand more, I know learning is a painful process; the brain doesn't like it. No one likes it.
The world is complex; it's long past simple fighting. If you want to get good resources in this world, you must make your brain complex, which means learning. Although humanity's exploration and transformation of the objective world have allowed us to classify knowledge systems very clearly and summed up the simple path that "if you learn science and math well, you can walk anywhere under heaven." But we still rely on our brains to painfully adapt to and accept knowledge over the long term. Therefore, screw happy education. Look, it seems that on the internet now, only in "Simplified Chinese" (Jianchong) circles do a lot of "reflective monsters" exist. It's disgusting, but it also shows from the side that we like to use our brains.
They can't do four arithmetic operations, so how did they get into college? Your school is a famous brand university, you know?
Remember what I said? They are surrounded by this wrong cognition from childhood until college. They go to college thinking they are excellent people. American college admissions don't look at grades, or not just at grades. Brothers, only in China does entering university depend on points. In the US, points are just a reference value. They look at background, at buffs, at money, at recommendation letters. They live in this wrong cognition from childhood, and of course, they might not think there is a problem.
He doesn't know where he did wrong, doesn't know where his mistake is. "Am I not excellent?" He was told from childhood he was an excellent child, a chosen one, only to discover he is just food for the upper class. Some say it's because he is bad at math. No, his entire cognition is twisted. Just because his thesis was about the Bible, and he argued about the Bible, and it was nonsense, he couldn't be given a zero. Rationality has been completely lost.
A stupid thesis, just because it quoted the Bible, was given a zero by the teacher, and the teacher was suspended. I tell you, how to make a Christian break down? Putting it this way isn't good; I posted that picture before. Ask a Christian: "You go on a business trip and come back, your wife is pregnant, you haven't slept with your wife, she is pregnant. Then she tells you this is a Holy Son. Do you believe it?" If he says yes, then I say a Holy Son can be born in your house too. If he says no, then it seems his faith isn't very firm. Some ask, do you say this in the US? I dare not say this in the US.
Americans have guns, right? If he can't argue, he will shoot.
If this bottom class of Americans doesn't study hard and can't break away from the US educational framework, this society will forever be indescribable to them. They don't know what to do in society either. They just bump into some beast and get skinned alive, because every elite in "Xida" (the US) is part of this Cthulhu, every one of them is a beast.
Americans watch TV, they talk about whether the female host has big breasts or if her buttons are buttoned correctly. They don't know that the things discussed today essentially affect whether they can buy bread tomorrow. Stupid people with low spiritual power can't understand the language written by Cthulhu, or can't understand their words. Did everyone notice? Old men on Chinese streets like to play chess. This is a manifestation of intelligence and rational thinking ability reaching a certain level. Chess, cards, poker, Mahjong. Actually, it requires your brain to calculate. Some brothers say, American cognition is so low, do they not realize something is wrong?
They realize something is wrong, and it is very painful. In the end, can they realize they have been cheated? After the bubble bursts, will they realize: "Have I lived in a lie all my life? Has this bubble finally been popped? I now have to face this cold reality." Yes, but by then they are utterly desperate. They have been cheated by the elite all their lives. Sometimes they don't want to change; they still hate learners from the bottom of their hearts. When they respond to reality, they won't change their views; they will even hate those willing to learn even more.
Do the rednecks realize it? What do you mean realize? He himself is a college student, okay, a college student from the golden age. The insensitivity of this American lower class to reason, data, and logical thinking cannot be changed. Do you know another kind of arrogance of the American upper class? It is this: "You want the truth, don't you? You want to clearly understand everything, don't you? Okay, come here, team. Let's print out all the data, all the copy, all the archives, all the data for them to see. Take a look, you idiots, at this standard American arrogance. Come on, you idiots."
Ordinary people want to know the truth, right? Look, this is the truth. It is like when a person truly contacts the Stock God, or even shouts to the Ancient God, "I want to know what the truth is!" The Ancient God says, "Okay, I grant you the truth. Do you want to know how you were cheated? Do you know how we price things? Do you want to know how we formulate strategies? Come, I will write it all out for you. I can write a book, even a bestseller. Can you understand it? I tell you how we price, how we calculate."
"What are our formulas, what are our terms? Can you understand them?" I give you the truth; it is always there. I am not afraid of you looking. I openly tell you what I am going to do. You can't understand it. You haven't learned it from childhood; you don't know what this formula is at all. Even if I show you, you can't understand it.
Their brains can only believe to that extent. Sometimes I can't help but fall into this kind of arrogance. Sometimes, the "Two-Headed Lions" ask me, "Why is this thing like this?" I say, "I'll explain it in a way you can understand." He says, "No, can you tell me how you did it?" I say, "Are you sure you want to see it?" He says, "I want to see."
I calculate it once for him by hand. I say, "Press this on the calculator, understand?" He says, "I understand, but I still don't understand how you calculated it." I say, "Can you calculate it by hand?" I say, "Okay, I will calculate it by hand for you, look." He says, "I don't understand." I say, "Don't memorize this first, just figure out how to press it on the calculator first." Then he breaks down. He says, "What you pressed on the calculator is different from what you wrote." I say, "Do what I say, don't do what I do." You haven't learned like this from childhood, you haven't been trained like this from childhood, you haven't been required like this from childhood.
It is normal that you can't do it. You go eat the improved version I gave you, and then conspiracy theories are born. He thinks I am hiding secrets. I say, "I'm hiding my ass, I'm not hiding secrets. Even if I don't hide them, you can't understand them." And then he is confused, and I am helpless too. Every time I can't help mentioning how painful it is to teach these "Two-Headed Lion Cannibal Wizards."
Unless from now on, Americans teach their children to live in reality, not in dreams. Starting from childhood, reforming the entire education system, stop studying the Bible every day, and accept scientific values. If Americans want to live in reality, they now need to revitalize the country through science and education.
For them, God is a belief in life. Can God be removed? Yes, it's possible. There are always people who think Chinese people have pigtails in their hearts, but Americans also have the Bible; that is their pigtail. And this pigtail is tied to the ground, long and thick; it is a collar, and then there is a rope tied above. It is a theocratic slave society. Is there a way to cut off this Cthulhu and the Cthulhu region coming from the elite class? No. As long as the bottom people maintain this greedy and stupid state, the upper class will continue as always.
If you want others to treat you well, you can't just rely on saying it, or a certain legal provision. You need to become smarter yourself. For example, could the workers in Petrograd in 1917 be smarter than other ordinary people? They had to be a little smarter. Need a new thought, then you are much smarter. Open your mind, raise a thought, and the world opens up naturally.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

Lao A Talks About the Zero-Wise Elders and Two-Headed Cannibal Wizards Raised in Captivity

Sounds fantastic.
Looks like a long talk.

Some ask, "How do you encounter these Cthulhus?"

Wikipedia has:
"Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft."

As an ordinary Chinese person ...

The article is too long and scrolls off the page
for me to be able to read at this time.

Lao A might exist.

- oar knots. thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

Compiled and simplified into an article based on the recording of Lao A's livestream.

Links are, at times, good to post.

Fighting for Money: The US Army

I frequently ate with the US military veteran stationed in Iraq, Redneck Doug.

Sounds like an interesting caricature.

I asked him, "Your internal military pay is so low, so how do you guys survive?"

Usually, in a military organization, food and shelter is provided.

Free food, plus a salary is more than plenty
when compared with other ways of living.

Caricatures can be fun to ponder.
Aye didn't read the rest of the article.

Beginning with a fiction could be like science.
Science fiction reminds me of a form of Daoism

The fiction that has friction gains traction.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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MiXue fan posted:

The text content comes from the video of YouTuber Lao A

There does not appear to be such a video
available to me on YouTube.

# American Healthcare: The "Slow Cutting" Torture and the Final "Kill Line" Today, we're going to talk about American healthcare rCo ...

Sounds like propaganda to me.
Why are you posting it here?

Are you paid by a government?

Be that as it may, how does it pertain to Daojia?

A wonder that is a wonder
is not always full of wonder.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

In order not to be "killed" (fall into despair) Americans are actually working extremely hard with an iron will.
I previously heard about the so-called "kill line" (a metaphor for the critical point of survival crisis). It may only become clear when one starts to "lose blood" (experience a decline in living conditions). Moreover, once you start "losing blood", it seems inevitable that you will eventually be "killed". It's like the*++ua- sword (Dharma Sword) in The Binding of Isaac. To avoid this situation, it seems that Americans will keep "adding armor" (strengthening their survival protection) to prevent this from happening. Let me ask, is this statement somewhat referential?

Yes, exactly. You can understand that all Americans live under this great uncertainty. Everyone must "add armor" as much as possible to prevent their protection from being breached.

Some people don't understand the mental state of Americans or how much pressure they are under. They always think that Americans seem to live freely. That's not the case at all. Every American has to work desperately to avoid falling below the "kill line". Americans are actually working extremely hard. Brothers, as we say, "Americans had better have an iron will" rCo that's a true statement. Americans really have an iron will, brothers, all of them. Everyone has this profound sense of crisis: I must work hard, or even take multiple jobs, to not fall below the "kill line".

For this reason, I can give up many things rCo whether it's estrangement from family, drug use, or alcoholism. As long as it allows me to muddle through work the next day, as long as I can go to work, as long as I can hold on. Americans are very hardworking, brothers. Many people think that Americans are leisurely, right? No, brother. Americans are never leisurely. Some people just imagine an ideal paradise, combining Europe's welfare system with the United States.

Many people who immigrate to the US (run overs) or so-called public intellectuals and sycophants of foreigners rCo the "American paradise on earth" they envision does not exist. Americans actually live a very hardworking and desperate life. We are all living with great effort. This song is actually very suitable for the American middle and lower classes. They are really working hard; every one of them is striving to live, do you understand? It's to avoid ending up in that situation. Once their entire financial system is breached, they will be driven out, become homeless, and be "killed". Every one of them actually understands this. They will do their utmost to prevent themselves from ending up like that.

Americans have an iron will rCo that's no joke. Their government really does not provide a safety net. Someone asked, how hard do Americans actually work? Let me put it this way, I'll tell you the most hellish thing. The United States actually has very strict drug control laws. Leaving aside young kids rCo those stupid young people rCo most Americans take stimulants to go to work, brothers. Can you imagine that? In this country, many people take stimulants just to be able to go to work normally in order to survive and avoid being "killed".

Many Americans take stimulants not for pleasure. Can you now understand how terrifying the situation of Americans is? We might think that when every American takes that stuff, they want to indulge themselves. Are there such people? Yes! I don't rule out that. There must be a large number of people who take stimulants to enjoy the thrill. But there are also a considerable number of Americans who don't take them for pleasure. They take these painkillers just to be able to get out of bed the next day rCo just to live.

You know that kind of perseverance... It scares me just thinking about it. It's extremely terrifying.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

Lao A Talks About the Elegy of American Country People -

How did the Rust Belt come into being? These abandoned factories are like rusty scars scattered all over the land. When the wind blows, all kinds of rust and corroded metal debris from these factories are rolled up into the air and spread across the land. That's how it formed.
Some people ask, if everyone fends for themselves, are there any who live a slightly better life? Any lucky ones? I mean, even if someone has no education, no academic credentials, no connections or resources, and not high intelligence, but they move to a big city in a developed state. Are there any who have risen and made it? It's not that there are none at all, but they are very few, you know? Very few. There must be lucky ones everywhere.

Back in the day, the Rust Belt was where America's most elite workers lived. Unfortunately, after more than half a centuryrCoforty to fifty yearsrCoof such torment, the people who still remain in the Rust Belt...As for them, even though they are poor, they don't want to work in factories in the Rust Belt. Or rather, they have lost the ability to work in factories. If you read J.D. Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy" (the one about rednecks), this is clearly reflectedrCothis is exactly the group of people. They smoke, drink, take stimulants, fight, brawl. The only thing they won't do is work hard in factories properly. They are voting machines driven by interests, and extremely short-term interests at that.

To put it bluntly, they are so short-sighted that it's similar to China's early poverty alleviation efforts. You know, when they gave cows, sheep, or pigs to some villagers, those villagers couldn't even wait for the piglets to grow up. They would kill and eat them the same night. That's how short-sighted they are. They can't even wait for a factory to be properly built before demanding exorbitant prices. Remember when South Korea's Samsung tried to build a factory in the US, but was directly reported by the locals, who then had all the engineers repatriated to South Korea? Do you remember that? This isn't ChinarCothis is a factory built by a country that's basically America's lapdog, South Korea, and even that didn't workpCe

It's useless, totally useless. If you say you want to work hard and do a good job, the locals just don't understand. Anything at the national level has nothing to do with us locals in these poor states. Some brothers ask, do these people end up getting any benefits? They actually do. That's the scariest part. If a factory is going to be built there, even if it can't be completed because of their opposition, so no one makes money, that's one thing. But the problem is, they really can get money.
That's the most terrifying thing. Even if they mess up the factory and ruin the project, they still get benefits. Some people ask, if the factory is ruined, there are no jobs, no investment, and economic development stagnatesrCowhere do the benefits come from? Lawsuits. Listen carefully. Don't think these people are poor; they have already formed a dependency on this kind of predatory competition. It's really terrifying, brothers. Let me tell you, the terror lies here: even though they are poor and arrogant, they will boldly sue these companies.

It doesn't matter if you're an internationally renowned big company, a famous enterprise, or an American allyrCoyou're all bullshit to them. You're not building the factory anymore? Then I'll sue you for violating the business agreement, for breaking the contract we signed back then. But sometimes, weren't these people the first to cause trouble? They don't care. Have you heard of "the villain sues first"? Just let the lawsuit drag on. Trust me, after a year or two of litigation, these big companies will know what pain is and will have to settle. How much do they pay in the settlement? Not much either.

Giving each household about fifty to sixty thousand dollars is enough. That fifty to sixty thousand dollars in hand can let these people live well for many years. Right? In those poorest Rust Belt states, that money can last them a long time. The cost of living is low, so even though the per capita compensation isn't a lot, it's enough to support them for quite a while.

Let me tell you something very counterintuitive about American trains.

Although America's public transportation system is terrible, it's not cheap at all. Brothers, this is the most fucking terrifying thing about public transportation here. It's very counterintuitive. Where's the counterintuition? Usually, something advanced should be cheaper. At the very least, that's how it is in China. But in the US, the outdated system employs a large number of workers and requires a huge amount of money for maintenance. So instead, the ticket prices are even higher.

Can you imagine? Four hundred plus US dollars. How much was it when I checked the price to California last time? Four hundred and twenty-eight dollars, and that wasn't during a holiday, a major vacation, or the tourist season. Four hundred and twenty-eight dollars before tax. Wow.

Sometimes it's not counterintuitive at all. Shoddy, backward things should be cheap, right? But that's not the case in the US. Let me emphasize again: we always say that America's infrastructure is poor. Actually, America's infrastructure isn't poor. If we look back a hundred years ago, it was the most advanced infrastructure in the world back then. Alright, let's not unnecessarily badmouth it.
Another way to look at it: isn't this infrastructure already a hundred years old? Yes, it is. Brothers, you heard that right. Most of America's current mainstream infrastructure was built in the 1930s. It's almost a hundred years old, brothers.

Brothers, it's almost a hundred years old. The legacy of Roosevelt is still in effect today.

Sometimes, infrastructure from a hundred years ago is still in use. Yes! America is indeed still using infrastructure that's a hundred years old. There was actually a major renovation once. When was that? During the 1970s in the US, the so-called era when the Soviet Union and the US were competing for hegemony. They actually did a large-scale renovation back then, roughly in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. That was almost half a century ago now. Anyway, Americans are really "blessed" (sarcastic).

Is it really only possible to use infrastructure from a hundred years ago? America's large-scale infrastructure construction was a hundred years ago; all other times have only been minor repairs and touch-ups. Brothers, most of America's current highway networks, railway networks, and transportation systems were built during that era, with only minor repairs and touch-ups since then.

Sometimes, isn't the probability of train accidents quite high? Yes. These incidents are, how to put it, a bit Lovecraftian (referring to the sense of horror from outdated, decaying things).

America's railways are crooked and slanting; just looking at them is scary. Have you seen the tracks? Oh my god! If someone from China Railway took a look, their blood would boil. Let me tell you something even more absurd. Some people ask, why don't they modernize some of these things in America?

Here's the thing: first of all, no matter what kind of renovation you want to dorCoelectrification, intelligence, whateverrCoyou must have an adequate number of engineers and skilled workers who are willing to fight for the system. To be honest, first, America is unwilling to pay the cost. Second, even if it were willing to pay, America essentially can't provide that many engineers and skilled workers to be the backbone. With the brains of many Americans fried from taking stimulants, they essentially can't be skilled workers. Can you understand that, brothers? A lot of the time, we think this is purely an economic issue, but it's not. The greed of capitalists is only one aspect. Brothers, after listening to so many of my live streams, you should all know what a mess America's education system is now. Do you expect the education system to cultivate people to maintain the entire system?

Right? No matter what you think.

You can say you want to build something intelligent and modern. America and the US government can boast all they want. In the end, you still need skilled workers and engineers to manage and maintain these things. Alright, where do you get these people? Currently, maintaining the entire system requires 200,000 engineers and 200,000 skilled workers to maintain the intelligent railway system for America's 300 million people. 200,000 eachrCothat's not a lot. Where are you going to get these good people? Frankly, you can't conjure them up. They don't just appear out of thin air. With an education system where high school graduates can't even do elementary school four arithmetic operations and have to be taught againrCowhere are you going to get the workers?

The current infrastructure in Europe and America is completely not something that operates under normal economic logic.

Let me explain. Do you still remember? The canceled Constellation-class warships in the US. Do any of you follow the military? America has canceled many ambitious warship projects. What's the essence of this?

It's not about providing welfare or contributions to their own people. The essence of infrastructure construction here is to compete with China.

That's our great Anglo-Saxons. How could white people be inferior to you yellow monkeys? The essence is still white arrogance. They set unreasonable figures for all indicators, whether it's infrastructure or military industryrCojust because China has set a standard. For example, we spend 10 billion yuan to build something, with certain standards and a certain timeline for completion.

What about Europe and America? They can see all these indicators. What do they do? They have their own pride. They say, "We must surpass you yellow monkeys and suppress your arrogance."

Even though their industrial foundation and skilled workers are completely inferior to China's, they propose various construction standards that are far higher than China's and set unreasonable timelines.

In the end, they definitely can't complete the projects.

It's not even a matter of the PPT, because every component is over-specified. Take the Constellation-class warship, for example. It originally had a mature design from Italy, but they insisted on modifying it. How did they modify it? Not in a reasonable way to adapt to the US military's needs. NorCothey completely based the modifications on China's standards. Without Chinese workers or China's industrial chain, they forced this stupid project through. It's like, ignoring the facts, we have to crush you yellow monkeys.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

... all Americans ... Everyone ...

Generalities are generally false however,
a wonder presents its elves in terms of
whether a reader would believe what he
or she reads and, perhaps, why.

Some people are smarter than others.

Propaganda is an odd feature
some governmental people use as they may
seek to control the minds of those who
don't have access to facts and such.

When the media is censored by the state,
the state of the people who live there
could be better or worse than people
who live in some other land where
information is different.

Minds vary.

- thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

The current infrastructure in Europe and America
is completely not something that operates under normal economic logic.

Europe is a land where people have been
building buildings that have lasted longer
than what was built in the colonies.

To have infrastructure that lasts thousands of years,
perhaps it was constructed by the Roman Empire.
Then again, maybe it isn't being used now.

Normal economic logic is an interesting phrase.
There was a system called feudal for a long time.
Then maybe times changed the local rulers decided
a kind of a charter would make life better for them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

Revolutions followed over the course of hundreds
of years after new lands were discovered by sailors
and wars that involved more of the world at times.

Looking at histories of how people lived, fought
and why Daojia writers wrote what was written
after dynasties changed hands may be viewed
by viewers with access to such information.

Propaganda suggests how in what is called China,
all information goes through government censors.
Maybe that's true, or perhaps not as much as lots
of what is available isn't anti-government.

When people in government or YouTubers publish
strange accounts that are too good or bad to be
true maybe an impression forms in a reader's mind.

Many people are gullible.
That's probably true.
Perhaps they're naive.

What's going on there
could be a question.

Why is this Lao A character saying
what is being said, if he exists.

The program appears to be extreme,
as if there is a motive in the words
being used to impress listeners.

Harsh words, not very kind,
could be a kind of unkind way
that can be a dao which reminds
me of TTC 38 at this time.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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aye posted:

that can be a dao which reminds
me of TTC 38 at this time.

DDJ 38 starts out talking about De
and Dao and goes on from there
to where what once was gets
basically lost more and
eventually what goes
without saying is.

One is reminded of the great thief
who has the dao and yet, which dao.

What Dao and De if not Da
is lost when people post
what is posted in a thread.

Which thread,
could be a question.

When messages are posted that prop up
a dao of governing and put down forms
used in other places, perhaps there is
a Da Dao and Da De that was yet is not.

Once upon a time ...

- thanks! Cheers!
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one posted:

When messages are posted that prop up
a dao of governing and put down forms
used in other places, perhaps there is
a Da Dao and Da De that was yet is not.

Once upon a time ...

History tales are told of how in a land
known as the Middle, the rulers were so
very great as to be unconcerned with all
other people beyond a line in the sand.

They built great ships to explore far
and just how far could be unknown. Yet,
while sailors didn't find Peng Lai what
they did find was not impressive enough.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Penglai

From a material world to a spiritual type
of what being great might mean perhaps a
form or forms of Daojia enters a picture.

Alchemy and immortality.
Metaphors or material reality.

- fun stuff. Thanks! Cheers!
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eye wondered:

Alchemy and immortality.
Metaphors or material reality.

The first so-called emperor, Qin,
from whom some say the word, China,
grew was said to have pursued a dao.

Perhaps there is a dream.
Maybe more than one, dreams.

When Zhuangzi was very poor,
whether he was happy could be
a question asked and if not, why.

Do fish really care what shoes
or hats people wear and if they
could wear swim fins or snorkels
or walk like land animals would it
be what they wanted if they were
happy as Zz knew they were.

Horses are said to act natural
when roaming free, without fences
nor reins, no scripted rules nor
any regulations, nor schools.

People are curious critters.

Taught what to think, how and
when they don't it spells trouble
for those who disagree with a party.

Neo-Daoists were said to like wine
and knew how to party, and be.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

Neo-Daoists were said to like wine
and knew how to party, and be.

Maybe some were. One is
reminded of how rhetoric and hyperbole
might suggest all or everybody who
happens to be known by a name
is or is not the same.

Names name. A saying says
ming ke ming and goes on
to a point of saying fei
chang ming. What it means
may be subject to a variety
of interpretations.

Do all people who live in a land think
the same thoughts or play the same games
could be a question those who question
hyperbole and rhetoric ask their selves.

Does every body have a self?
Or, is every body a self?

When Zz lost a self he had, his De
as it were if not his Dao he was
sad for a while.

Yet when his wife died, after thinking
about how she was prior to being born,
he was found banging on pots and pans.

His buddy, Huizi, thought he was not
acting property as he should given
the rules, rites, rituals and such
a culture was saying he should.

Yang Chu had a saying too.

- thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


one posted:

Yang Chu had a saying too.

A saying he said was said to say
how, if only every body would
not give a single hair to save
the world then the world would
be at peace.

To make sense
probably required a sense
to make any difference.

Apparently there were wars
being fought at the time. Internal
struggles might mirror externals.

His logic was how to give a life,
if there is no greater gift than
to sacrifice for a ruler, it's odd.

If only every speaker didn't speak,
then there would be silence and
perhaps that could be better
than talking trash a lot.

External appearances
could mirror internal
struggles of a mind or
a heart region of a body.

Games vary. War games. Mind
games people play for a spell.
At times the magic works.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

Unable to find any, YouTuber, named Lao A,
a search of the Internet turned up stuff.

<< begin quote from a ChatGPT >>

You said:
Recently there have been several messages posted in Usenet, supposedly a transcript of a YouTuber named Lao A. I can't find any such YouTuber. Is there a creator in China that goes by that moniker?

ChatGPT said:
There doesnrCOt seem to be a well-known YouTuber who goes by rCLLao ArCY specifically, and no major Chinese or international creator with that exact name shows up in usual creator lists or searches.

HererCOs what is real and close to that name:

rCo A few creators use names starting with Lao (*CU, meaning rCLoldrCY or a colloquial prefix):
rCo Lao Gao (*CUo2y) rCo a Chinese YouTuber behind Mr & Mrs Gao, very popular for storytelling and mystery videos on YouTube.
Wikipedia

rCo Laowhy86 rCo an American YouTuber based in China who goes by Laowhy86 (the name is a play on laowai, meaning rCLforeignerrCY).
Wikipedia

rCo Other people with Lao in their social handles (like Lao Zhang) exist on social platforms but arenrCOt recognized as major YouTubers.
X (formerly Twitter)

If the Usenet transcripts refer to rCLLao A,rCY it might be:

a misremembered or corrupted name (for example, someone meant Lao Gao or Laowhy86),

a fictional or private person not publicly known,

or an alias used only in a specific Usenet community with no significant online footprint.

At least among notable creators tied to China or Chinese-language content, none are precisely rCLLao A.rCY If you can share a snippet of the text or context from those Usenet posts, it might help pin down whether itrCOs referring to a real creator or something else.

You said:
He supposedly talked extensively about the Kill Line and how Americans live, struggle, etc.

ChatGPT said:
There is no widely recognized YouTuber named rCLLao ArCY in the usual directories of YouTube creators rCo no Wikipedia page and no visible channel under that exact name outside of whatrCOs mentioned in fringe posts. What yourCOre seeing online is not a well-known international creator with an established public profile.
gonglubian.com

WhatrCOs actually happening is that a Chinese Bilibili livestreamer nicknamed rCLLao ArCY became an internet buzzword recently because of some dramatic storytelling about life in the U.S. and the notion of a so-called rCLkill line.rCY HererCOs whatrCOs known from recent Chinese social media reports:
gonglubian.com

rCLLao ArCY is reportedly a Bilibili content creator, often described as speaking with a northeastern Chinese accent and not showing his face. His real identity isnrCOt publicly verified rCo no official name or mainstream YouTube account is tied to him.
gonglubian.com

He gained traction with long livestream storytelling sessions about life in the U.S., including tales set in Seattle where he claims to have encountered the struggles of poor or homeless people there.
gonglubian.com

The term rCLkill linerCY rCo used in his broadcasts rCo became popular on Chinese social platforms. ItrCOs a metaphor he uses to describe a supposed economic threshold in American society: once people fall below it, theyrCOre portrayed as having no safety net for things like medical bills, job loss, debt, etc., leading to collapse or destitution.
gonglubian.com

Mainland Chinese media and nationalist commentators picked up this narrative, turning rCLkill linerCY into a trending topic in some online circles.
gonglubian.com

Skeptical voices on Chinese platforms argue that his personal claims (e.g., being a Chinese international student working with corpses) are implausible or unverified rCo suggesting the stories are largely anecdotal or fictionalized for entertainment.
gonglubian.com

So to answer your question directly: There doesnrCOt appear to be a known, established YouTuber in China or internationally called rCLLao A.rCY The mentions online refer to a Bilibili livestreamer whose persona and dramatic narratives about American life have spread in Chinese social media, especially around the idea of the rCLkill line.rCY
gonglubian.com

If you want detail about the kill line concept itself or want help spotting real versus fictional online personas, that can be explained too.

You said:
So this, Bilibili livestreamer is publishing, what, propaganda?

ChatGPT said:
Short answer: it functions like propaganda, even if it isnrCOt officially labeled that way.

Longer explanation, kept grounded:

The rCLLao ArCY livestream content fits a common propaganda pattern seen on Chinese platforms:
dramatic personal stories, unverifiable credentials, and a strong moral contrast between China and the U.S.

The rCLkill linerCY idea is not a recognized economic or sociological concept. ItrCOs a narrative device rCo a simplified threshold meant to suggest that Americans live one step away from ruin, with no safety net.

These stories usually blend real problems (poverty, medical debt, homelessness) with exaggeration or fabrication, presented as insider truth. That makes them persuasive while remaining hard to fact-check.

ThererCOs no public evidence this person is an official state spokesperson. However, Chinese platforms like Bilibili operate under heavy moderation, and content that reinforces approved narratives about foreign societies tends to spread easily, while opposing views do not.

So the most accurate framing is:

Not confirmed state propaganda, but clearly propaganda-aligned storytelling.

It serves the same purpose: shaping perception of American life as uniquely harsh and unstable, using anecdote instead of data, and authority instead of verification.

The reason it shows up on Usenet as rCLtranscriptsrCY is likely because listeners treated the monologues as revealing or taboo, not because the speaker is a verifiable expert or public intellectual.

In short: a persona, not a known YouTuber; a narrative, not an analysis.

You said:
Do listeners in China actually believe the narrative?

ChatGPT said:
Many do, yes rCo at least partially.

HererCOs how it usually breaks down:

Pre-existing beliefs matter. Audiences already inclined to see the U.S. as chaotic or unjust tend to accept the narrative easily. The stories feel like confirmation, not revelation.

Anecdotes are persuasive. Long, detailed personal stories sound authentic, even without evidence. On platforms where debate and fact-checking are limited, that style carries weight.

Low exposure to counter-examples. Everyday American life rCo boring, functional, uneven but stable rCo isnrCOt visible on Chinese platforms. Extreme stories fill the gap.

Entertainment blurs into belief. Some listeners treat it like talk-radio or storytelling, but repeated exposure slowly normalizes the message. Even skeptics may walk away thinking rCLthere must be some truth to it.rCY

That said, belief is not universal:

Urban, well-educated users and people with overseas experience often openly doubt or mock these narratives.

Many listeners treat figures like rCLLao ArCY as exaggerators or performers rather than authorities.

So the answer is nuanced:

The narrative is not swallowed whole by everyone, but it is widely accepted enough to influence perception rCo especially when no competing picture is available.

It doesnrCOt need total belief to work. Partial belief is enough.

You said:
Does what is available on some channels, e.g. Fox News, compare similarly?

ChatGPT said:
Yes rCo thererCOs a real comparison, with important differences.

Similarities:

Both rely heavily on storytelling and selective examples rather than broad data.

Both emphasize decline, danger, and struggle to keep attention.

Both frame society using moral lines: people above vs. below, winners vs. losers, insiders vs. outsiders.

Repetition turns opinion into something that feels like common sense.

Differences:

Fox News operates in a competitive media environment. Other large U.S. outlets openly contradict it, fact-check it, and mock it. Viewers can easily switch.

Chinese platforms like Bilibili are not competitive in the same way. Counter-narratives about the U.S. rarely spread widely.

Fox mixes propaganda-like content with real reporting, live footage, and named sources. rCLLao ArCY relies almost entirely on anonymous anecdote.

Fox serves a domestic political audience. rCLLao ArCY serves a national comparison narrative rCo rCLtheir system vs. ours.rCY

A clean way to put it:

Fox News exaggerates within a plural media system.
rCLLao ArCY exaggerates inside a constrained one.

Both can distort reality. The difference is how easy it is for audiences to see alternatives.

So yes, the techniques are similar rCo the ecosystem is not.

You said:
Are there European media that spout the same types of narratives?

ChatGPT said:
Yes. Similar narratives exist in Europe, though they usually appear at the edges, not the mainstream.

Common places where this shows up:

State-aligned outlets in some countries
Channels like RT (when it operated in Europe) or certain Balkan and Eastern European outlets often portrayed the U.S. as violent, collapsing, or morally broken, using crime stories and social decay as stand-ins for the whole society.

Populist or far-right media
Some tabloids and online video channels in France, Italy, Hungary, and Germany regularly highlight American homelessness, drugs, race conflict, or healthcare costs to argue rCLliberalism has failed.rCY

Far-left or anti-globalist media
Smaller outlets frame the U.S. as a dystopia of capitalism rCo medical bankruptcy, gig work, mass incarceration rCo again using selective examples and anecdotes.

How this compares:

The themes are the same: decline, cruelty, people falling through cracks.

The tone is usually less absolute than the Chinese rCLkill linerCY framing.

Crucially, Europe still has open media competition. These narratives are challenged daily by other outlets, comedians, academics, and mainstream news.

So the short version:

Yes, Europe has similar stories rCo but they donrCOt dominate the information space.

They coexist with counter-narratives and are understood by many viewers as opinionated or ideological, not hidden rCLtruths.rCY

That difference rCo visibility of alternatives rCo matters more than the content itself.

You said:
What about in Russia? Does the media there portray Europe, the USA and China using extreme narratives?

ChatGPT said:
Yes. Very much so rCo and more systematically than in Europe.

Russian state media uses extreme, simplified narratives as a core feature, not a fringe tendency.

How the U.S. is portrayed

Constant focus on violence, racial conflict, homelessness, moral decay.

America shown as near collapse, ruled by elites, hostile to ordinary people.

Social problems presented as proof the system is fundamentally broken, not fixable.

How Europe is portrayed

Europe framed as weak, submissive, and declining.

Heavy emphasis on migration, crime, energy shortages, cultural loss.

European governments depicted as puppets of Washington, acting against their own populations.

How China is portrayed

Almost the opposite tone.

China described as stable, rational, rising, and pragmatic.

Conflicts or internal problems are minimized or ignored.

Cooperation with China framed as natural and inevitable.

Style and technique

Relentless negative selection: only bad news about rivals, only neutral or positive news about partners.

Frequent use of talk shows where outrage replaces reporting.

Clear moral framing: rCLthey are failing; we are resisting.rCY

Key difference from Fox or European outlets

Little to no real counter-narrative reaches mass audiences.

Satire, fact-checking, or dissenting views have limited reach or legal risk.

Viewers are not encouraged to see the coverage as opinion rCo itrCOs presented as reality.

A concise way to put it:

Russian media doesnrCOt argue that the West has problems.
It argues that collapse is inevitable rCo and already happening.

So yes, Russia uses extreme narratives about the U.S. and Europe, and selectively positive ones about China, as a deliberate and sustained strategy.

You said:
What about in India and Africa, and South America. Is it a similar situation with narratives painting entire countries as good or bad actors?

ChatGPT said:
Yes rCo the same pattern appears, but it looks different by region. ItrCOs less centralized than China or Russia, more fragmented.

India

Media is loud, competitive, and polarized.

Pro-government outlets often portray the U.S. and Europe as hypocritical (lecturing on democracy, racism, colonialism).

China is usually framed as a strategic threat, not a moral one.

Western decline narratives exist, but they compete openly with pro-Western and neutral views.

Africa

No single narrative dominates; itrCOs highly country-specific.

Western countries are often framed as exploitative or unreliable, especially in francophone Africa.

China is frequently portrayed as a builder and partner, though skepticism is growing.

Russian narratives about Western decay circulate widely on social media, especially via Telegram and Facebook.

South America

Strong ideological split.

Left-leaning media often depict the U.S. as an imperial power in decline.

Right-leaning outlets tend to be pro-U.S. and anti-China/Russia.

China is framed pragmatically: trade partner, not a moral model.

Extreme rCLgood vs evilrCY framing exists, but no single version controls the space.

Big picture

Yes, many outlets paint countries as good or bad actors.

Outside China and Russia, this usually happens in plural media environments where narratives collide.

Social media amplifies the most emotional versions everywhere.

A clean summary:

Extreme national narratives are global.
What differs is whether people hear only one rCo or many.

Where alternatives exist, belief is softer and more conditional. Where they donrCOt, narratives harden into perceived reality.

You said:
I can imagine similar narratives are promulgated in such states as Iran, various extreme Muslim groups, Israel, Ukraine and such. Japanese and Taiwanese groups might paint Mainland China in a certain light, as might the Philippines. Australia and New Zealand may differ.
ChatGPT said:
Exactly. Across the globe, media and influential groups often simplify national images into rCLgood vs. badrCY narratives, though the targets and tone shift with local politics, history, and perceived threats. Patterns look like this:

Middle East (Iran, extremist groups)

Iranian state media often demonizes the U.S., Israel, and Gulf rivals, framing them as aggressive, corrupt, or imperial.

Extremist groups amplify this further, portraying Western countries as decadent enemies, often mixing real grievances with exaggeration.

Israel and Ukraine

In Israeli media, the narrative sometimes paints hostile neighbors as existential threats while emphasizing IsraelrCOs security and moral necessity.

Ukrainian outlets, especially since the Russian invasion, frame Russia as aggressor and oppressor, while Western countries are largely allies.

Both rely on emotional, sometimes stark moral framing.

East and Southeast Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Philippines)

Japan and Taiwan often portray Mainland China as aggressive or expansionist, emphasizing military threat, censorship, or economic coercion.

The Philippines has a mix: pro-government narratives may praise ChinarCOs infrastructure investment, while opposition or social media highlight threats to sovereignty.

Oceania (Australia, New Zealand)

Media tends to be more moderate and pluralistic, with some criticism of ChinarCOs human rights record or U.S. foreign policy, but extreme rCLcollapse vs. utopiarCY framing is rare.

Social media can still amplify polarized narratives, especially around trade, defense, or climate.

Key takeaways globally:

The mechanics are universal: selective reporting, storytelling, moral framing, emotional amplification.

The targets and heroes vary depending on history, geography, and ideology.

The intensity of audience control matters: China and Russia can dominate the narrative; pluralistic democracies have competing versions.

In short: almost every region produces some form of simplified rCLgood vs. badrCY national narrative, but how pervasive and believable it is depends on media diversity, state influence, and social context.

<< end of quote >>
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


researcher found and quoted:

In short:
almost every region produces some form of simplified rCLgood vs. badrCY national narrative, but how pervasive and believable it is
depends on media diversity, state influence, and social context.

Nations may differ from states
of mind and geographical areas
known often as countries.

Groups of people who live on a land
are divided at times between lines
created by governments and their
ancient nations. Their identity
as being that group is curious.

Over thousands of years attempts
have been made to eliminate people
seen as, others.

Apparently, for Lao A et al,
to see people as, others, continues.

- strange, and yet, hmmm ...
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eye posted:

Apparently, for Lao A et al,
to see people as, others, continues.

With Daojia, lots of others existed.
Confucians and Mohists to name two.

Zhuangzi speaks of them in his Qi Wu Lun, o+ete-*2u.

Translations of the meanings of o+ete-*2u vary.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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aye posted:

Zhuangzi speaks of them in his Qi Wu Lun, o+ete-*2u.

Translations of the meanings of o+ete-*2u vary.

A form of Gemini wrote:

<< In the Zhuangzi's "Qiwu Lun" (Discussion on Making All Things Equal), Zhuangzi critiques Confucians and Mohists not by picking sides, but
by exposing their fundamental error: getting lost in limited
human distinctions (right/wrong, good/bad) that obscure the true,
unified Dao, leading to endless debates. He argues their partisan views, rooted in ego and societal norms, prevent them from seeing the "equality
of things" and the natural flow of the universe, proposing instead a state
of "illumination" (Yiming) or "fasting the heart" to transcend these biases and achieve holistic understanding. >>

- thanks! Cheers!
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someone <being@apolka.sign> quoted:

<< In the Zhuangzi's "Qiwu Lun" (Discussion on Making All Things Equal), Zhuangzi critiques Confucians and Mohists not by picking sides, but
by exposing their fundamental error: getting lost in limited
human distinctions (right/wrong, good/bad) that obscure the true,
unified Dao, leading to endless debates. He argues their partisan views, rooted in ego and societal norms, prevent them from seeing the "equality
of things" and the natural flow of the universe, proposing instead a state of "illumination" (Yiming) or "fasting the heart" to transcend these biases and achieve holistic understanding. >>

When there is east, there is
north and south of an equator.

Some people want to be number one.
Their identity is with what is theirs.
When there is us, there is them.

And then the games can begin!

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

someone <being@apolka.sign> quoted:

<< In the Zhuangzi's "Qiwu Lun" (Discussion on Making All Things Equal), Zhuangzi critiques Confucians and Mohists not by picking sides, but
by exposing their fundamental error: getting lost in limited
human distinctions (right/wrong, good/bad) that obscure the true,
unified Dao, leading to endless debates. He argues their partisan views, rooted in ego and societal norms, prevent them from seeing the "equality of things" and the natural flow of the universe, proposing instead a state of "illumination" (Yiming) or "fasting the heart" to transcend these biases
and achieve holistic understanding. >>

When there is east, there is
north and south of an equator.

Some people want to be number one.
Their identity is with what is theirs.
When there is us, there is them.

And then the games can begin!

There's something about walking two dao
in that chapter, iirc. Except translators
might not use the word, dao, and have roads
instead which is curious.

- thanks! Cheers!
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MiXue fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

The full transcript of a YouTuber's video.

The Kill Line: When Survival Becomes a Subscription Service

======================================================


Lao A Recounts the Death of an American "Good Kid"

This story happened a long time ago. ItrCOs about a Black guyrColetrCOs call him rCLBrorCYrCowho was actually my first friend in America. AndrCa herCOs dead. IrCOll say it upfront: he died. He passed away at a very young age.

Let me describe what he was like. If you were to physically embody the word rCLOptimus Prime,rCY that would be him. This Black man was incredibly tallrCohow tall? About 196rCo197 cm (roughly 6'5") barefoot. With shoes on, he was nearly two meters (over 6'6"). And he was extremely muscular.

How did I meet him? Where?
It was in the university library. In Europe and America, libraries often have math tutoring centersrCospaces where volunteers like me, who are good at math, offer free help to students struggling with their coursework. We get some academic credit or small benefits, and American students get the support they need. ThatrCOs where I met him.

The first time I saw him, I was shocked. He was the strongest-looking Black man IrCOd ever seen in American societyrCoand he was there to study math! Honestly, I mightrCOve had some racial stereotypes back then, because I asked him, rCLDo you really need help with math?rCY

He just grinned at me, flashing a set of brilliantly white teeth, and said, rCLI want to learn math. I heard from Professor So-and-so that yourCOre really good. Can you help me?rCY

I replied, half-joking, rCLYourCOre this huge Black guyrCowhy arenrCOt you playing football? Why are you here studying math?rCY

He said, rCLBecause I want to learn math.rCY

rCLAlright,rCY I said. rCLIf yourCOre serious, IrCOll help you.rCY

And so I started teaching himrCofrom linear equations all the way up to calculus. His foundation was extremely weak, so we began with the absolute basics: number sense, problem-solving logic, word problemsrCoyou name it.

Over time, we grew close. As someone with traditional Chinese values, I deeply respected his desire to learn. If a kid wants to study, you lend a hand. So I tutored him relentlessly.

His grades steadily improved. We knew each other for about a year and a halfrCofourteen or fifteen monthsrCoand by the end, he couldunderstand calculus lectures, though he hadnrCOt fully mastered it yet. Still, he was thrilled.

One day he told me, rCLAlex, guess what? I scored 72 on my calculus exam!rCY Out of 100rCothatrCOs not great by most standards, but for him, it was a huge achievement. rCLThanks to you, I can finally follow the class and even get a 70-something. IrCOm so happy!rCY

He insisted on treating me to dinner. I said, rCLSurerCobut yourCOre not exactly rich, right?rCY

Turns out, it wasnrCOt just himrCoit was his whole family: him, his mom, and his dad. From his parentsrCO eyes, I saw something deeply familiar: the gratitude of traditional Chinese parents. They were overjoyed that a rCLgood teacherrCY hadnrCOt given up on their rCLslowrCY child and had helped him go from completely lost to barely keeping up.

His father grabbed my hand and thanked me profusely. I said, rCLItrCOs nothingrCojust helping a student who wants to learn.rCY

(For context: private math tutoring in the U.S. is extremely expensive. I never charged him a cent.)

But yesrCothey were clearly poor. The rCLdinnerrCY they treated me to was classic Southern Black soul food: a small, family-run joint serving huge, greasy, meat-heavy portions. The food was decent, but it was obvious they didnrCOt have much money.

As time went on, we became real friends. About six months in, he came to me and said shyly, rCLAlexrCa can you help me out? IrCOm broke. I canrCOt pay for textbooks this semester, and I wonrCOt have enough for rent.rCY

I was surprised. rCLWaitrCoyou work at the docks, right? YourCOre strong as hell! How are you broke?rCY

He explained: herCOd spent all his savingsrCoplus his current and next monthrCOs wagesrCosending his younger brother to rehab. His brother had gotten into drugs through a gang, and he was determined to save him. rCLI swore to God and to my mom IrCOd never touch drugs or performance enhancers. And I wonrCOt let my brother stay trapped in that life.rCY

I warned him: rCLIn your neighborhood, thatrCOs almost impossible. You might be throwing your money away.rCY But he insisted: rCLI have to try.rCY

HerCOd saved over 3,000rCoa lot for someone in his situationrCoand combined it with 4,000 from this month and another 4,000 advanced from his dock boss. Over 10,000 totalrCogone, just like that.

So now he couldnrCOt afford rent. But he refused to drop out. rCLIrCOll pay for books first,rCY he said. rCLIf I have to sleep on the street, so be itrCobut IrCOm not quitting school.rCY

I was stunned. rCLYourCOre incredible,rCY I told him. I asked my roommates if he could crash on our couch. They were equally amazed: rCLA 6'5" Black dude skipped rent to save his brother and keep studying? Bring him in!rCY

They also asked: rCLWhy donrCOt you play basketball or football? With your build, yourCOd get signed in a heartbeatrComake tons of money, save ten brothers, date whoever you want!rCY

He shook his head. rCLI donrCOt want to be livestock. Alex, do you understand? I want to be aperson. I donrCOt want to be a gladiator in an arena. I wonrCOt take those drugs that fry your brain and shorten your life. I want to be a doctorrCoso people call me rCyDoctor.rCO Or a lawyer. I want a dignified life.rCY

He added: rCLIn our community, itrCOs so hard to climb out. I promised my mom IrCOd never touch that stuff. Even if I have to carry crates at the docks, IrCOd rather study math than become a monster.rCY

He had no money for food either. So I made a deal with my roommates: IrCOd cook for all five of us every day (theyrCOd cover groceries), and in exchange, herCOd clean the apartment and sleep on the couch.

And wowrCocould he eat! My steamed buns were palm-sizedrCoseven per basket. HerCOd eatfive baskets in one sitting! Plus fried rice and side dishes. He once ate two giant American pork knuckles by himself while the rest of us shared two. He needed two full pots of ricerCoone for him, one for the four of us.

He worked hard, saved up, and after a few months, he moved into his own place. He invited us over for a housewarming party that weekend.

That goodbyerCa was forever.

I found out he was gone when his mother called me. rCLHe was shot,rCY she said. rCLHerCOs dead.rCY

What happened?
After his brother left rehab, the gang leaderrCowhorCOd been supplying him with drugs as rCLpaymentrCYrCowas furious that someone had interfered. The brother, foolishly, told them it was his older brother who sent him to rehab.

So the gang waited for him at the docks. They meant to rCLteach him a lesson.rCY But things escalatedrCoand he was killed.

Why couldnrCOt they save him?
He was tall, strongrCa but poor. He couldnrCOt afford quality health or accident insurance. When he was shot, the medical response was inadequate. Without proper coverage, he didnrCOt get the urgent care he needed.

And just like thatrCohe was gone.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


MiXue fan posted:

Lao A Recounts ...

This story happened a long time ago. ItrCOs about a Black guy

...

And just like thatrCohe was gone.

Aye only skimmed the story and an idea of Daojia
returned in terms of how when there is black, there
is what is not black. Like beauty and what is not that.

Words are words and why people identify
with being a color, like white or brown,
red or yellow is an odd feature of reality.

What is a fashion is, until it isn't.
Now a daze, many if not most folk may say
they are their nation state of mind, naturally.

Indoctrinated to think along such a line
drawn in the sand can be funny, ore knots.
Then perhaps a sign is seen on the line
saying, now entering or now leaving.

The zone that is the Zone
returns at this time as a well.
Daojia cycles cycle and recycle.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

MiXue fan posted:

Lao A Recounts ...

... ItrCOs about a Black guy ...

Aye only skimmed the story and an idea of Daojia
returned in terms of how when there is black, there
is what is not black. ...

There's a saying in DDJ 1.2.a.b., ming ke ming
fei chang ming and it brings to mind how Lao A may
appear to be a racist in terms of his thinking black
people exist as if such a mythological category exists.

Not long ago, a theory of race was imposed to exploit
people designated as, other. White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
men who were imperialist, colonialist in their world viewed
that world as a thing to be controlled. And sew they did.

Even today so-called WASP thinking might affect people
who live on the surface of a pale blue dot called Earth.

Racism, as a word, need not connote bigotry, prejudice
nor other meanings as it can simply suggest race exists.

Some people who study species say there is only one
of those who are called, people and yet, divisions
might often be made as carving, chopping and such
artificial lines are hacked away as a way, a dao.

Once upon a time, in a land called Turtle Island,
people arrived and the red men called them pale face.
Now those red skinned people call their selves Indians.

To say, ming ke ming fei chang ming can mean
words don't always mean the same noun-thing
can be said and yet, words are used by men
and women who are sexist.

Thinking in terms of sex, biology, to divide
a world into men and women is possible.

To transcend various lines and extend
meanings of words could be fun at times.

- ore knots. Thanks! Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


eye posted:

aye posted:

MiXue fan posted:

Lao A Recounts ...

... ItrCOs about a Black guy ...

Aye only skimmed the story

Lao A may appear to be a racist

To transcend various lines and extend
meanings of words could be fun at times.

Lao A does invoke quite a few distinct-
ions as he charges and discharges words.

A possibility could be he actually believes
what he says and what is transcribed in ways.

His dao and those of his followers are dao.
Dao that are spoken and/or written, sew two.

Whether there is a Dao of Daojia
or more than one ore in any vein
found by miners who mine for what
could be called alchemy remains.

Perhaps esoteric forms of Daojia,
hidden, mysterious, Xuan, meaning dark,
made in the shade of gnarly trees could be.

Some sayings may say no thing is either black
nor white and some say a small red door exists.

Miao was a word used.

Red Pine wrote it may
have referred to the Moon.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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aye posted:

Some sayings may say no thing is either black
nor white and some say a small red door exists.

Miao was a word used.

Red Pine wrote it may
have referred to the Moon.

https://terebess.hu/english/tao/Taoteching_withCommentaries.pdf

<< tao shares a common linguistic heritage with words that
mean "moon" in other cultures: Tibetans call the moon da-ua; the Miao, who
now live in southwest China but who lived in the same state as Lao-tzu when
he was alive, call it tao-tie; the ancient Egyptians called itthoth. Tu Er-wei could
. have also added dar-sha, which means "new moon" in Sanskrit. >>

<< based on
references within the Taoteching. Lao-tzu says the Tao is between Heaven and Earth, it's Heaven's Gate, it's empty but inexhaustible, it doesn't die, it waxes
and wanes, it's distant and dark, it doesn't try to be full, it's the light that doesn't
blind, it has thirty spokes and two thirteen-day (visible) phases, it can be strung
like a bow or expand and contract like a bellows, it moves the other way (in relation to the sun), it's the great image, the hidden immortal, the crescent soul, the dark union, the dark womb, the dark beyond dark. If this isn't the moon, what is it? >>



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eye posted:

aye posted:

Some sayings may say no thing is either black
nor white and some say a small red door exists.

Miao was a word used.

More than once
upon a time eh.

Red Pine wrote it may
have referred to the Moon.

https://terebess.hu/english/tao/Taoteching_withCommentaries.pdf

<< THE SHUOWEN says. "Hsuan:dark means 'black with a bit of red in it,'" like the
darker half of the yin-yang symbol. In Shensi province. where this text was written,
doors are still painted black with a thin line of red trim. And every road begins with a door. >>

Speaking of comments he found on TTC 1:

<< In line seven, most editions have miao:mysterious.
But PI YUAN says, "In ancient times there was no miao:mysterious. only miao:small/beginning," which is what we find in the Mawangtui texts. >>

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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eye quoted:

https://terebess.hu/english/tao/Taoteching_withCommentaries.pdf

<< based on
references within the Taoteching. Lao-tzu says the Tao is between Heaven and Earth, it's Heaven's Gate, it's empty but inexhaustible, it doesn't die, it waxes
and wanes, it's distant and dark, it doesn't try to be full, it's the light that doesn't
blind, it has thirty spokes and two thirteen-day (visible) phases, it can be strung
like a bow or expand and contract like a bellows, it moves the other way (in relation to the sun), it's the great image, the hidden immortal, the crescent soul, the dark union, the dark womb, the dark beyond dark. If this isn't the moon, what is it? >>

A metaphor?

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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