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Writer's pictureRichard Lipscombe

Illusion turns to delusion....

Newminimalist work hard to avoid the power of illusion.


This cat has nine lives.

A common illusion is that a cat has nine lives [see photo]. Such illusions spring from superstitions not from empirical evidence. This is a harmless illusion that can even become a play thing or the core of joke: Joe has nine lives just like his cat but unlike his cat he has used up 8 of them. Yeah. I know that joke, like all of my attempts at humour, needs some work.


We live with many popular illusions and survive unlike many a curious cat. But when illusions become delusions we tend to live our lives vicariously. This is common for those who use social media as a proxy for real life adventures and experiences. It is also true for those who have been sucked into a cult or a social network matrix that is defined by ideologues Those who prosecute the "cancel culture" are good examples of individuals who live inside a cult or a social network matrix full of delusional people.


The great illusion of our times is that notion that the C21st global expansion of debt has been good for 7 plus billion people currently living on planet Earth. This illusion has turned into a delusion in 2020 when most governments around the world have expanded their money supply and driven interest rates towards zero. It is delusional thinking to imagine that the global economy can be kick started again by an infusion of government fiat money. The illusion was that there was no global debt bubble: the 2020 delusion is that printing more money can save the world from hurt and suffering because individuals, corporations, banks, governments, etc can not pay back the principle or the cover the interest bills on their debts.


Illusion turns to delusion when truth, trust, and integrity is replaced by lies, greed, and futility. On this day 2nd August 2020 the illusions of our world have turned into delusions. The illusion that Italy can pay its debts is now delusional because they do not have the funds needed to pay out loans due at the end of this year. The illusion that the European Union and its common currency is successful project is about to turn into a delusion when Italy officially becomes a failed state.


The illusion that the United States of America is a free enterprise enriched Democracy is about to turn into a delusion when Joe Biden is elected President in November 2020. He is running on the slogan "build back better": what in heaven's name does that even mean. The slogan does not make sense and neither do Joe Biden's clutch of public policy initiatives which will likely result in a big government takeover of free enterprise businesses from Main Street to Wall Street. The 2016 illusion was that President Trump would sweep into the White House and proceed to drain the swamp in Washington DC: however, in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic shutdown of America that proved to be a delusion.


Illusions have a nasty habit of turning into delusions when left unchecked by rational actors.


Richard


Newminimalists eliminate the collective wants that tend to turn illusions into delusions. For a three-step process that can turn you into a Newminimalist in 10 days go to the homepage of my website at minimal-you.com

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