SYMPATHY FOR the devil (LA)

The Destruction of LA, and humanity.. Where to go from here.

The totality of the destruction of these flames is impossible to comprehend. They’ve consumed museums, schools, mobile home parks, senior centers, stores, restaurants, encampments, apartment buildings, fire stations, countless homes, and many historical and cultural landmarks. It’s hard to keep track. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. The historic Black community of Altadena has been decimated. People have died, animals have suffocated, and families across the economic spectrum have lost everything. From Counterpunch ‘Burn Hollywood Burn’.

Los Angeles is a name that conjures up images of hollywood film making, sin and laciviousness, self agrandizing stars, lavish shopping venues, and celebrity residents. In fact, Billy Crystal, Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges et al, have lost homes in this latest Malibu / LA fire extravaganza. (Rosie O’Donnell lost at least one of her homes anyway).. sigh.

But the wealthy are not the only ones affected. Innocent animals are too. Here’s a guy risking his life, (as much from the road as from the raging fires) to save a rabbit.

In tragedies, humanity comes out and shows its true nature. This incident of selfless compassion¹ is held up to the light of the alternative - where crooks were found setting fires in order to rob more houses during the ongoing LA disaster. As we saw in 2020, when disaster hits, the masks come off. We see people for who they really are.

There’s been something nefarious afoot in the USA from way back that has been noticed and noted by others. In the early 19th Century, author - James Fenimore Cooper, who frequented Europe, but was born and lived in the United States, ran afoul of Americans for publishing his controversial views of the shortcomings of the USA. In a biographic sketch of his life (Written in 1911) it was said of James Cooper:

‘In June of 1834 he visited Cooperstown and decided to make that village his home. He bought the unoccupied family estate, reclaiming it from the decay that was immediately threatening, and made it his permanent home until his death. The quiet of his native village did not make him immune from critical attacks. These were however largely induced by his own hostility. He had returned from his European travels with changed ideas. He looked about him, and found his American neighbors crude - hopelessly immersed - it seemed to him - in Philistinism - gross money getting.

“Gross Money Getting.”

As if that were the only reason for what we’re seeing, but what Cooper was onto 200 years ago, has had plenty of time to develop.

In fact, the fires in California, floods in North Carolina, hurricanes in Florida, and train derailments all over the place do have an ingredient in-common - with the 26 Rite Aid Stores that have been closed in New York City.. and a whole lot of other uniquely US issues.

The common ingredient is INTENT. There is an invisible hand at work behind what appears to be a systematic destruction of the United States.

Since 2020 - the explosion of peculiar trials in the USA has been enough to make one’s head spin. I’ll limit the comparison of the cause and effect to 2 - ‘fires in L.A’. and ‘crime in NYC’ - which disparate elements are coming to the same conclusion - destroyed communities - because someone in a position of power has helped the process along.

MISTAKES WERE MADE (NOT)- NEW YORK

What do I mean? Take a look at this video detailing rampant theft at NYC drug stores, which has led a scores of them to close. WATCH THIS then WATCH THIS.

NOTABLE POINTS:

1. To stay open brick & mortar stores have to add security personnel;

2. they have to add plexiglass cabinets to protect merchandise;

3. they have to add staff to open the plexiglass cabinets for customers;

4. The inconvenience of locked merchandise pushes more people to shop online, forcing the stores to cut even further, and/or to raise prices

   

5. Pharmacists, whose staff is busy opening plexiglass cabinets for customers, are working alone.. understaffed, and overtime,.. which is how mistakes are made..

6. Customers who don’t want to wait, and don’t like the higher prices are shopping more and more online.. meaning more brick and mortar stores are forced to close.

NO HELP IN SIGHT

1. In NYC lawmakers had promised to deal with the crime issue years ago..

2. They never have! A criminal can have 100 hits on his rap sheet, be picked up in the act of a larceny, and sent back out to the streets the same day.

   

3. New York City is a haven for criminals. The Scriptures say "Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil." Ecclesiastes 8:11, And boy oh boy, is that true in the Big Apple

   

4. Security personnel are discouraged from doing their jobs.. In this clip (below) the news anchor says, “Security guards who attempt to stop criminals like this one in New York City are getting arrested themselves..”

   

5. No measures are being taken to put the criminals behind bars,

6. No measures are being taken to stop the resale of stolen goods,

7. No measures are being taken to help the stores stay open in their communities

8. The impact of loss of local stores, translates to the loss of area jobs - so crime soars accordingly, till there is no more community left to speak of.

9. How is that any different from burning communities to the ground..?

   

Mistakes were made (NOT)- California

1. In the city’s 2024/2025 Budget Summary - L.A. mayor Karen Bass CUT OVER $17,000,000 from their Fire Department budget → RIGHT ON TIME FOR THE FIRES..

2. State Farm CANCELED THOUSANDS OF INSURANCE POLICIES in California → RIGHT ON TIME FOR THE FIRES.. (One news agency got their hands on a cancellation letter saying policies were being cancelled because they “present the most substantial wildfire or fire following earthquake hazards.” The letter was dated Nov. 28, 2024, just six weeks before the fires broke out.)

3. There was “No water in the Palisades”.. prompting a L.A. real estate developer to remark- “The conditions that led to fire hydrants being depleted in Pacific Palisades are reminiscent of "third world country." Governor Newsom called for an investigation into the causes behind the ‘no water in fire hydrants..’ Maybe his 2019 tax on drinking water didn’t save quite enough for the fires.. This man is governor?!

   

California has a history of wild fires (and insect plagues, and mud slides, and earthquakes, and droughts,..resulting in crop failures )- The time for governmental investigation and action was long ago.. But, make no mistake, all of this is by design.. from NY’s crime sprees, to the California DEW fires, to East Palestine Ohio and the many other train derailments, to Chicken Farm Barns burning down, to Hog Slaughters in 2020, to the floods in Asheville North Carolina..

Where does that leave the rest of us?..

For one thing, the closing of brick and mortar shops drives more people to do their shopping on the internet, which leads to more brick and mortar shop closings, has one very sinister possible outcome ..

..what about when the internet is turned off?

One answer to this unfolding reality, moving forward, is to think about where you are living, and imagine how it would be were a crisis to take place, either right there, or in the whole country. Let me remind you there IS a reason that they keep hinting at ‘something up in Yellowstone National Park’.

Think seriously about where you live, and what criteria you would want to have around you in a crisis.

Then think about moving, especially if you live in or near a major city like NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, and so on - and choose your new neighborhood well. We have not seen the end of trouble by hook, by crook, or by fire - by any stretch.

Take a look around you and ask yourself, ‘How are the people of this community going to treat each other, in time of extreme crisis?’ Some places are going to rank higher than others on the community support scale. I’m from Long Island myself, and lived in Manhattan for many years, though I am very happy that I no longer do. Where I am now, there are ample fresh water sources near me, I have enough land to grow food in, and a wood stove for cooking if it came to that.

L.A. just got hit the way North Carolina did,.. the way Tampa ALMOST did (But some of us prayed against that cat 5 hurricane, remember?) ..the way Ohio got hit,.. the way other areas have been hit. Shadenfreude only works if the fires are not in your neighborhood, and the stores stay open.

If it seems to you that we are all just so many fish, and the net is being drawn inward, at least you’re paying attention.

So, move, or pray, or both. And when anyone organizes a prayer call, do join them.

VJCB

1. (undoubtedly there were others episodes where people did help each other but no cameras were recording them)