The Old Right
My surprising "stats" Page
I am surprised that the “stats” page does not report more readers going to see what I have posted, since Feb 25. Nobody bothered. YOU see, I done made some changes (in my style) but I see this still has not registered. I made only some posts in my new style. You would think that somebody would want to see it. But… Nope. The numbers don’t move (they may lie; I do not know if those “stats” are very accurate things ~) ~
So now I am looking for something to write today: I have nothing. I’m a blank. Also really surprised American is not more saddened—because, I mean, they were only three short posts you know. It takes you time to readjust. Okay—well, I’m back…!!!#
While sipping my coffee at a local coffeeshop I noticed a notice of a show at the nearby venue. It was the annual book convention with individual entrepreneurs, called an “antiquarian book fair.”
And that it was, friends. Here we find a whole raft of published books that never get any public attention — or not recently, not since maybe the nineteenth century. Ha ha, but also books from the 1950s or 60s. This show had paperbacks for $170—pulp-liking stuff but really by Pat Highsmith etc. I bought a Right-wing propaganda called “Brainwashing,” because I have always been fascinated with that word. It was done in 1958 and calls people “reds.” But capitalized, naturally.
These are the Right-wing, freedom-loving patriots. I guess so. I have some familiarity with the stuff. I had a few previously as well
“Brainwashing” is “…like a devil dancer in a tuxedo, carrying his magic brew in a test tube.”
I have yet to read it. Wow and ….that’s just the end of the first page …and, Well—my computers are still not working well.
(and get those “stats” up , ya bunch o’ slobs…)
Maybe they have book fairs near me, that would be kinda fun. We had a newspaper where you could find out about all the local events, and now it's mainly ads for local restaurants, dentists, etc. People mainly read e-books nowadays, don't they? And if they are really busy they have an AI voice read the book to them while they are driving.
I don't quite get how the Substack stats work. Like what are "direct" views, are they from search engines? And how about subscribers vs followers?
If I’m not mistaken the term brainwashing came out of the Korean War. Some US troops were captured by the Chinese army and put in solitary confinement where they were subjected to water torture in which a slow but steady drip of water was allowed to fall on their heads while they were forced into positions where they couldn’t stand, sit, lie down or even kneel. Confinement was humid and dark with food given at irregular times and in unpredictable condition.
The term was originally proposed by US hardliners as a way to explain how so many Chinese troops blindly obeyed every order given them but GIs captured at the time gave it an entirely new spin. They began confessing to spraying poison gas on civilians, denouncing the US and declaring themselves loyal Communists.
Brainwashing is the literal translation of the declared process - xi nao (“wash brain”) by the Chinese government. In addition to what is mentioned above those captured were not allowed to sleep and had to continuously repeat their supposed crimes as confessions until they actually believed them.
For years after the 1953 cease fire (the Korean War is, still today, not settled by treaty) a number of former GIs remained in China, reiterating that this was their new home.