The agency of objects

An interesting take on the agency of artifacts in light of the discussion of memes and temes. From Sinha, S. (2015). "Language and other artifacts: Socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction." Frontiers in Psychology.

"If (as I have argued) symbolic cognitive artifacts have the effect of changing both world and mind, is it enough to think of them as mere 'tools' for the realization of human deliberative intention, or are they themselves agents? This question would be effectively precluded by some definitions of agency […] In emphasizing the distinction, and contrasting agents with artifacts, it fails to engage with the complex network of mediation of distinctly human, social agency by artifactual means. It is precisely the importance of this network for both cognitive and social theory that Latour highlights by introducing the concept of 'interobjectivity.' […] Symbolic cognitive artifacts are not just repositories, the are also agents of change. […] We can argue that the agency is (at least until now) ultimately dependent on human agency, without which artifactual agency would neither exist nor have effect. But it would be wrong to think of artifactual agency as merely derivative."

Also see our IPS discussion here.

Greta Thunberg: Our house is on fire

This young lady's presentation at Davos might not move the billionaires but it moves us, who in turn must move the billionaires by electing representatives that hold them accountable. If you're moved by this dire warning will you take action?

Colbert's emotionally manipulative Super Bowl ad

He introduces it by commenting on how those ads tend toward the maudlin in getting people to buy product. His own hilarious ad follows.

Colbert: Intelligence worldwide threat assessment

Which therein was no mention of any necessity of building a Mexican border wall. Meaning such a wall is irrelevant compared to actual threats. The intelligence community also disagrees with Dump on just about every other matter of national security. Of course Dump, who gets his security briefings from Pox Views, criticized the intelligence community again. This is some seriously dire and scary shit.

Science responds to idiot Dump

It is an atrocious crime that we have such an idiot running our country.

McConnell hates democracy

As do nearly all Repugnantans. Making election day a holiday encourages and empowers we the people to participate in our government, exactly what McConnell and his coterie of corporate lapdogs despise. It's funny that he and his tribe project onto others exactly what they do. Not making election day a holiday is their way or grabbing more power for themselves and depriving the rest of us any whatsoever.

Harris backtracks on Medicare For All

In this piece she does backtrack some on her original statement about Medicare For All. She still maintains MFA is the goal but has already considered other far less inclusive healthcare programs, an incremental approach. Hence it does create doubts as to her genuine commitment to MFA.

More on postmetaphysics

Continuing the last post, Tom replied: "I’m not sure I would take it quite that far Edward. What prototype theory does is not so much invalidate hierarchies, as show that, assuming they do roughly approximately capture some aspect of reality (which I think they do), they are imperfect maps. In the same way that simple concepts (as categories) are partial truths but err in forcing clean boundaries (and clean hierarchical relationships). I do think that prototype theory and the theory of “natural kinds” in concept formation is incredibly important for all theory makers and users to know about."

I replied:

Lakoff also noted in Women, Fire and Dangerous Things:

"The classical theory of categories provides a link between objectivist metaphysics and and set-theoretical models.... Objectivist metaphysics goes beyond the metaphysics of basic realism...[which] merely assumes that there is a reality of some sort.... It additionally assumes that reality is correctly and completely structured in a way that can be modeled by set-theoretic models" (159).

He argues that this arises from the correspondence-representation model, a metaphysical system.

And this one is significant, which was made apparent in my discussions with Commons:

Why set theory is not sufficient for postmetaphysics

Continuing this post, prototypes are not based on necessary and sufficient conditions, the latter being a requirement for hierarchical complexity. Commons admits as much in this article. Note the axioms which satisfy the requisite necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of set theory. Prototype theory challenges the very edifice upon which developmental models depend. No wonder Lakoff et al. don’t go there. I’d even suggest that the sort of necessary and sufficient logic of set theory, not being embodied, is quite literally metaphysical and hence not what is considered postmetaphysical.

Facebook blocks transparency tools

Some orgs have developed tools that show how Facebook advertisers target them. So FB has eliminated those tools because they make their money on advertisers targeting you. No matter your privacy rights; those get thrown under the bus for money. No matter that the ads are unscrupulous or misleading; those get thrown under the bus for money.

Seeing a theme here?  And yet we still come to this corrupt media source so we can share what we had for lunch. Fortunately some of us are immune to its machinations and can use FB for our own purposes. I wouldn't doubt that soon we too will be eliminated because they don't make any money on us.

Where did Dump get his bizarre immigrant claims?

From the movie Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Seriously. Our Presidunce thinks movies are real life.

Colberts on Dump's idiotic climate comments

He also comments on Stone's indictment and the Mueller investigation.

AOC leads progressive takeover of banking committee

AOC, Gabbard, Tlaib and Pressley were added to the committee that regulates the Wall Street banks. Normally such assignments require that one pay their 'dues' to the DCCC, meaning how much money they raise for it. But these progressives getting elected is started to get the Party to reevaluate their old boy dues structure, meaning buying your way onto committees, due to our (we the people) pressure in electing so many progressives. Keep up the good work citizens, and continue to put pressure on the dinosaurs until they are completely extinct.

Colbert on the Stone arrest and indictment

Comic relief on a grave issue.

World Summit

Here's their website, with an introductory video below.

Another polar vortex causes havoc

Given another one is on the way Borowitz revisits this post from a previous polar vortex in 2014. Expect more of the same.

MINNEAPOLIS (The Borowitz Report)—The so-called polar vortex caused hundreds of injuries across the Midwest today, as people who said “so much for global warming” and similar comments were punched in the face.

Authorities in several states said that residents who had made ignorant comments erroneously citing the brutally cold temperatures as proof that climate change did not exist were reporting a sharp increase in injuries to the face and head regions.

In an emergency room in St. Paul, Harland Dorrinson, forty-one, was waiting to be treated for bruising to the facial area after he made a crack about how the below-freezing temperatures meant that climate-change activists were full of shit.

“I’d just finished saying it and boom, out of nowhere someone punched me in the face,” he said. “This polar vortex is really dangerous.”

The meteorology professor Davis Logsdon, of the University of Minnesota, issued a safety warning to residents of the states hammered by the historic low temperatures: “If you are living within the range of the polar vortex and you have something idiotic to say about climate change, do not leave your house.”

Integral World Summit

Tom Wiley responded to my IR article: 

"Hello integral friends. I hope it's okay to share this here as I am not yet on the other platforms. I loved the essay from Edward Berge entitled From Capitalism to the Collaborative Commons. We at the World Summit movement have created an integral framework for helping us through humanity's phase-shift that Daniel Schmachtenberger discusses. We reference his work as well as the Collaborative Commons discussed by Jeremy Rifkin in the essay. If necessary we can join the conversation elsewhere. Thanks for your review of our Integral World Summit slide show."

I replied: I looked over your power point and find that work fully resonate with mine. Count me in as a supporter.

Billionaires challenged at Davos

Great challenges from these two at the World Economic Forum. The first is on how the wealthy avoid paying their fair share of taxes while claiming to address inequality. The second addresses how employment stats don't show the kind of shitty jobs they include which exploit and dehumanize workers. Davos needs to hear this. See the video here or below.

Sanders, Warren, AOC revive democratic ideals

Yes, democracy. You know, that of, for and by the people thing. This article shows that what they're proposing has a long American history going back to Jefferson and Debs. The underlying tension has always been: Is capitalism consonant with or antithetical to democracy? And the answer has proven time and again to be the latter. Again, see my IR paper "From capitalism to the collaborative commons" for how we progress beyond a defunct capitalism.

Wall Street doesn't like Sanders and Warren

Who does Wall Street like? "Biden, Booker, Harris, Gillibrand, and Beto." Which is exactly why it must be Sanders and Warren in a team. They will hold Wall Street accountable and the others won't. And accountability is not the same as eliminating. They both find a legitimate place for Wall Street but just won't tolerate the lying, cheating and stealing. Oh wait, that is exactly what Wall Street has become, so perhaps maybe we can do away with this bankrupt, greedy, vulture, dinosaur anachronism?

Cognitive science and developmental models

I started a Ning IPS thread on Tom Murray's contribution to the recent Integral Review issue here. After some of my posts Tom replied:

Tom replied: These are great L&J quotes Edward, thanks. As is obvious I am also a big fan of Philosophy in the flesh. But it also strikes me that the developmental lens never made its way into their work. Lakoff’s later work on political themes (Don’t think of an elephant) was even more hobbled by this lack. I understand why it happens and is hard to change, but its such a shame how academia operates in such tight sub-disciplinary silos. I had the same concern about Haidt’s work, excellent but noticeably could benefit from the developmental lens. I hear that Haidt has recently been turned on to developmental theories though, so we will see. Not that adult development is the end-all of theories, but its unfortunate how little of academia is even familiar with it.

I said: 

Right to exploit workers

Let's call it what it really is and the results are in, as expected.

Life with universal basic income

Only the other human drives under capitalism have been diminished to near extinction. UBI would change that, hence UBI must be eliminated by capitalists.

Why Germany leads in renewables

It's because they have a national development bank to fund the project, as do "many European, Asian and Latin American countries." The US had one under FDR to "build roads, bridges, dams, post offices, universities, electrical power, mortgages, farms, and much more; and it funded all this while generating income for the government." The US just needs new leaders committed to renewable energy and to funding it via such development banks. Perhaps after 2020 when we have a progressive President, Senate and House?

Consider the road less travelled?

Dump fires long-time illegal workers

In his NY gold club. Somehow they recently discovered that these dozen employees, many of whom have been commended for good work over the years, had forged citizenship papers. Of course Dump knew they were illegal from the start but had to take this action when their status was revealed, especially after making a big stink over the border wall. Such a lying, cheating scum bag he is, not name calling but an accurate description of this despicable excuse for a human being.

Capitalism was designed that way intentionally

Capitalism is not in any way designed for, by and with the people in mind. It is a feudal holdover specifically to maintain the rich status quo and in no way democratic. See my article for more detail.

Spread this meme

A takeoff on Dump's lame meme; this one is better. Please replicate it far and wide to combat the criminal Dumpsters.

Polls: Majority of Americans are progressive

Don't let the CONservatives define the we the people's values and policy position. The majority are the center, and that center is progressive. Sanders represents the majority.

Dumpsters had over 100 Russian contacts before inauguration

This story provides the details. Forget collusion: This is conspiracy against the US, aka treason.

"Among these contacts are more than 100 in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, emails and private messages on Twitter. Mr. Trump and his campaign repeatedly denied having such contacts with Russians during the 2016 election."

The facts about the 3% climate denial papers

We always here that 97% of the peer-reviews scientific papers on climate change agree. What about the other 3%? This article shows that  “every single one of those analyses had an error—in their assumptions, methodology, or analysis—that, when corrected, brought their results into line with the scientific consensus." What were the errors? "Many had cherry-picked the results that conveniently supported their conclusion, while ignoring other context or records. Then there were some that applied inappropriate 'curve-fitting'—in which they would step farther and farther away from data until the points matched the curve of their choosing. And of course, sometimes the papers just ignored physics altogether."

From capitalism to the collaborative commons

My new article is now available in the current issue of Integral Review journal. The abstract:

This is an edited summary compilation of my work in several Ning Integral Postmetaphysical Spirituality (IPS) forum discussion threads listed in the bibliography. It will lay out the slow decline and endgame of capitalism, while also highlighting the emerging new socioeconomic system of the collaborative commons. It also criticizes the notion of clinging to conscious capitalism, as if capitalism could be redeemed if only the right consciousness were applied. While conscious capitalism may indeed be a healthy transition step toward the collaborative commons, in itself it is not enough and to the contrary retains many of the inherent elements from a bygone and no longer effective socioeconomic structure.

Pelosi's bullshit climate committee

Pelosi refused to create a Green New Deal committee to implement that necessary legislation but instead restarted a previously ineffective committee on the topic. The new committee has none of the reps who support actual environmental action. Also it cannot write legislation, it cannot propose legislation, it has no subpoena power, it even limits what can be discussed about climate change and it allows raising fossil fuel money. It is a bad joke to avoid doing anything about this global catastrophe. Seriously, WTF?

Who are the real takers?

Repugnantans.

Mueller's results

This article highlights the details and results of the Mueller investigation so far, showing how nearly everyone around Dump is guilty. And it's not even over yet with the biggest indictment of all to come.

Charged by the special counsel Guilty Charged		Charges
	Roger J. Stone Jr. Longtime informal adviser to Mr. Trump	Obstruction of an official proceeding, making false statements and witness tampering	Charged Jan. 24
	Michael D. Cohen Mr. Trump’s former lawyer	Lying to Congress (pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2018)	Sentenced to 3 years in prison Dec. 12, 2018
	Richard Pinedo California man who sold bank accounts online	Identity fraud (pleaded guilty Feb. 12, 2018)	Sentenced to six months in prison Oct. 10, 2018
	George Papadopoulos Former campaign adviser	Lying to the F.B.I. about conversations with people he believed were working on behalf of Russians (pleaded guilty Oct. 5, 2017)	Sentenced to 14 days in prison Sept. 7, 2018
	Paul Manafort Former campaign chairman	Tax and bank fraud, false statements, being an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, obstruction of justice	Convicted of financial fraud Aug. 21, 2018
	Twelve Russian intelligence officers	Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, identity theft, conspiracy to launder money	Charged July 13, 2018
	Konstantin V. Kilimnik Russian Army-trained linguist and associate of Mr. Manafort	Obstruction of justice	Charged June 8, 2018
	Alex van der Zwaan Lawyer who worked with Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates	Lying to investigators about conversations with Mr. Gates (pleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2018)	Sentenced to 30 days in prison April 3, 2018
	Rick Gates Former campaign adviser	Financial fraud and lying to the F.B.I.	Pleaded guilty Feb. 23, 2018
	Thirteen Russian nationals and three related companies	Conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit bank fraud, identity theft	Charged Feb. 16, 2018
	Michael T. Flynn Former national security adviser	Lying to the F.B.I. about conversations with the Russian ambassador	Pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2017

Maher's monologue

Some LOL stuff on the shutdown, Dump's idiocy, the Covington smirk, the Stone indictment.

Maher on comic books

He's spot on: Comics and superheroes are for kids. It ain't adult literature.

Sanders on the deal to open the government

And it was essentially the same as what the Senate passed in the last session and Dump rejected, as did McConnell in the new session. And all for what? Sanders highlights the suffering it caused for nothing.

Why is US backing a coup in Venezuela?

According to this story. Why? Could it be the following?

Onion: Kushner never revealed State secrets

Without getting paid, that is.

WASHINGTON—Seeking to clear his name following reports that the Trump administration had overruled intelligence officials to grant him top secret security clearance, Jared Kushner held a press conference Friday to assure reporters he had never revealed government secrets to foreign powers without turning an enormous profit. “The implication that I would expose our nation’s most closely guarded intelligence without making serious bank is, frankly, insulting,” said Kushner, explaining that he had always been extremely cautious not to reveal any of the sensitive information he received to anyone but the highest bidder, as doing so could seriously devalue the intel. “We are talking about national security matters with implications that could affect the lives of all Americans, which means I can basically charge whatever I want for it and still have buyers knocking down my door. I swear that I always made sure they paid through the nose.” Upon being questioned by reporters, Kushner admitted that he had occasionally been forced to offer discounts for state secrets due to dozens of other administration officials flooding the marketplace.

Where science and religion meet

Continuing the last post, another good article from the Evolution Institute. This one on where religion and science meet is relevant to the last post on presupposition. A few excerpts to whet the appetite. First, on

"the need to stay within the bounds of Methodological Naturalism. What is the meaning of this two-word phrase? Naturalism is defined as 'A viewpoint according to which everything arises from natural properties and causes and supernatural explanations are excluded or discounted.' The word 'methodological' softens this claim by acknowledging that there is no definitive proof of naturalism."