Understanding Modern Civilization

Looking back at my "normie" teenage self, I see how far down the rabbit hole I've fallen. Every few years brings another paradigm-destroying realization separating me further from conventional understanding. This third consecutive reality-shattering episode might finally give you words for truths you've always sensed intuitively—or seem so unbelievable you'll dismiss it entirely. Yet the strangest things in science fiction pale compared to actual reality when you know where to look. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Use WHATIF to get 55% off your first month at Scentbird https://sbird.co/3OEwK0P This month I received... Atlas by TUMI https://sbird.co/3OCw0tl Jardins de Misfah by Une Nuit Nomade https://sbird.co/3HVNz3y Oud Gaiac by Sentier https://sbird.co/48b1Yn9 -- LINKS: History 102:    / @history102-qg5oj   Link to Pluribus. Cancellation Insurance-https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my podcast-   / @commonground-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: The Gateway Report by Robert Monroe Journeys out of the Body by Robert Monroe Far Journeys by Robert Monroe Ultimate Journey by Robert Monroe Stalking the Wild Pendulum by Itzak Bentow The Concscious Universe by Dean Radin The Sacred History by Mark Booth A Secret History of the World by Mark Booth How God becomes Real by Lurhmann The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent Recapture the Rapture by Jamie Wheal The Eye of Shiva by Amaury de Riencourt The Soul of India by Amaury de Riencourt Forgotten Truth by Houston Smith Religions of the World by Houston Smith Mere Christianity by CS Lewis The Great Divorce by Charles Taylor A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking The Master and His Emissary by Ian McGhilchrist A Secular Age by Charles Taylor Spiral Dynamics by Ken Wilbur

22 Mar 202445min

This revelation completely transformed my daily existence. Like the famous optical illusion where some see an old woman while others see a young one, reality contains multiple interpretations—but only one is correct. Even among the highly educated and intelligent, almost nobody knows this information. By the end, you'll experience the equivalent of a movie's plot twist that retroactively changes EVERYTHING you thought you understood about the world we inhabit. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Click the link for Raycon below: http://buyraycon.com/WHATIFALTHIST -- LINKS: Link to Pluribus. Cancellation Insurance-https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my podcast-   / @commonground-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: Universe 25 itself The Righteous Mind by John Haidt Sociobiology by EO Wilson Envy by Helmut Schoeck The Human Zoo by Desmond Morris The Secret of our Success by Joseph Heinrich The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene Behave by Sapolsky The Conscious Universe by Dean Radin Nihilism by Seraphin Rose The Unabomber's Manifesto War, Peace and War by Peter Turchin A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell Cynical Theories by James Lindsay Lost Connections by Johann Hari Stolen Focus by Johann Hari Evil by Baumeister The Master and His Emissary by McGhilcrhist The Ascent of Humanity by Eisenstein Guide to Late Antiquity by Peter Brown The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman The Fate of Empires by Hubbard Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quiggley The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray Woke Racism Trump and a Post Truth World by Ken Wilber Woke Racism by John McWhorter The Coddling of the American Mind by Jon Haidt

22 Mar 202450min

I've predicted American civil war since 2020, but what once seemed distant historical speculation has become immediate reality. Political LARPing always precedes actual conflict—until suddenly the costumes become uniforms. Texas rejecting federal authority, states sending troops to borders, removing candidates from ballots—these unprecedented actions mirror 1860 exactly. Violence will likely erupt within the year, potentially before the 2024 election even occurs. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Check out Tacen with https://www.tacen.exchange or   / discord   Content related to Project TXA and Tacen Exchange is being provided to you for informational purposes only. Nothing discussed in this video is intended to be investment advice. This content, and any information contained therein, does not constitute a recommendation by Project TXA or Tacen Exchange to buy, sell or hold any security, financial product or instrument referenced in the content -- LINKS Link to Pluribus. Cancellation Insurance-https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my podcast-   / @commonground-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: Ages of Discord by Peter Turchin The Coming Caesars by Amaury de Riencourt The Storm before the Calm by George Friedman Leviathan and its Enemies by Samuel Francis The True Believer by Eric Hoffer Woke Racism by John McWhorter The Economics of Discontent by John Michel Paul Regime Change by Patrick Deneen Long Cycles by Goldstein The Great Wave by David Hackett Fiscer A History of Western warfare v.2 by JFC Fuller Battle Cry of Freedom by James McFerson Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner Generations by Strauss and Howe A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell Secular Cycles by Peter Turchin End Times by Peter Turchin The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman The First World War by John Keegan The Master and His Emissary by McGhilchrist The World After Liberalism by Matthew Rose The Righteous Mind by John Haidt Night by Elie Wiesel China by John Keay Trump and the Post Truth World by Ken Wilbur

22 Mar 202439min

The "Chinese Century" narrative I grew up hearing is completely wrong. Rather than displacing America as the next global hegemon, China stands on the precipice of history's most catastrophic social implosion. After decades of double-digit growth and global influence-building, China is rapidly sliding toward Maoism, international isolation, economic gridlock, and widespread protests. This episode maps the coming Chinese civil war that will likely kill hundreds of millions and shatter all assumptions about the global future. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive 🚀 Install Star Trek Fleet Command for FREE now https://t2m.io/Whatifalthist and enter the promo code WARPSPEED to unlock 10 Epic Shards of Kirk, enhancing your command instantly! How to easily redeem the promo code 👉 https://stfcgift.com/ -- LINKS: Link to Pluribus. Cancellation Insurance-https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my podcast-   / @commonground-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: Asian Waters by Humphrey Hawksley Asia's Cauldron by Robert Kaplan Disunited Nations by Peter Zeihan Why Nations Fail by James Robinson and Daron Acemoglu The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama The Next 100 Years by George Friedman World Order by Henry Kissinger The Best of Times and the Worst of Times by Michael Burleigh Seeing Like a State by James C Scott Destined for War by Graham Allison Crashed by Adam Tooze China's Asian Dream by Tom Miller China by John Keay Mao by Jung Chang The Soul of China by Amaury de Riencourt Oriental Ways of Thinking by Nakamura

22 Mar 202433min

America and Iran have repeatedly approached the brink of war—from the Soleimani assassination that triggered Iranian missile strikes to the Stuxnet cyberattack on Iran's nuclear program. These tensions have simmered for decades without erupting into full-scale conflict. This analysis of a potential US-Iran war delivers surprising conclusions about who would actually prevail in this long-anticipated Middle Eastern showdown. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive https://www.piavpn.com/Whatifalthist to get 83% off Private Internet Access with 4 months free! -- LINKS: Link to Pluribus. Cancellation Insurance-https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my podcast-   / @commonground-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis Disunited Nations by Peter Zeihan How to Make War by James F Dunnigan World Order by Henry Kissinger The Best of Times and the Worst of Times by Michael Burleigh A Generation of Sociopaths by Bruce Cannon Gibney The New Map by Dan Yergin A Quick and Dirty Guide to War by James F Dunnigan The Second World War by Lidell Hart A History of Western Warfare by JFC Fuller Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary The Revenge of Geography Robert Kaplan Prisoners of Geography Tim Marshall Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan The Rise of the West by William McNeil Inside Asia by John Gunther

22 Mar 202438min

The brutality of Hamas's recent attack on Israel and the subsequent fighting has the world holding its breath. Though Israel itself is tiny—just the size of New Jersey—it stands at a geopolitical crossroads reminiscent of Bosnia before WWI. This episode examines whether this localized conflict could trigger the chain reaction of alliances that plunges our interconnected world into another global war. -- SPONSORS NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals — go to https://cookunity.com/whatif50 and use my code WHATIF50 at checkout to try them out for yourself! Thanks to CookUnity for sponsoring this video! -- LINKS Link to Pluribus. Cancellation Insurance-https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: The New Map by Dan Yergin The Human Tide by Paul Moreland The First World War by John Keegan Long Cycles by Goldstein The Great Wave by David Hackett Fischer Ages of Discord by Peter Turchin The Economics of Discontent by Jean Michel Paul The Next 100 Years by George Friedman A Secular Age by Charles Taylor The World in Conflict by John Andrews The Global Crisis by Geoffrey Parker The Military Revolution by Geoffrey Parker Disunited Nations by Peter Zeihan The End of the World is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan The Accidental Superpower by Peter Zeihan The Best of Times and the Worst of Times by Michael Burleigh A Quick and Dirty Guide to War by James Dunnigan Destined for War by Graham Allison War, What is it Good for by Ian Morris Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary World Order by Henry Kissinger Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall Global Catastrophes and Trends by Vaclav Smil Asia's Cauldron by Robert Kagan

22 Mar 202442min

With several brutal wars raging and more potentially imminent, formerly "decent" people are turning into bloodthirsty sharks. This episode examines history's most devastating conflicts using Matthew White's meticulously researched "Atrocities"—data respected across the political spectrum. Blood transcends political bias, revealing how Eurocentric our historical education is. When countries are bucking toward war, only perspective keeps us from getting thrown. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Start your FREE scan for data brokers that are hoarding your personal info:https://www.optery.com/protect-your-p... -- Bibliography: Atrocities by Matthew White Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder A History of China by John Keay The First World War by John Keegan A History of the Second World War by Liddell Hart Plagues and Peoples by McNeil Our Oriental Heritage by Will Durant A History of China by Wolfram Eberhard Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom by Steven R. Platt The Cambridge Illustrated History of China War, Peace and War by Peter Turchin the Later Roman Empire by Bury A Guide to Late Antiquity by Peter Brown History's Greatest Wars by Cummins Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quiggley A History of Russia, Mongolia and Central Asia by David Christian War in Human Civilization by Azar Gat The 30 Years War by Peter Wilson The Military Revolution by Geoffrey Parker The General Crisis by Geoffrey Parker Africa by John Reader African History by Basil Davidson Inglorious Empire by Sashi Tharoor Europe: A History by Norman Davies The Soul of India by Amaury de Riencourt Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary Secular Cycles by Peter Turchin Generations of Captivity by Berlin The Story of the Americas by Leland Dewitt Baldwin

22 Mar 202442min