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The Age of Collective Stupidity

I lived through the dotcom bubble — hype and “expert” consensus shot stocks sky-high. I sold early and was called crazy… until the crash erased fortunes. In hindsight, it was global collective folly.

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power John Rees power John Rees

Freedom in a World of Algorithms

Are you truly free, or steered by unseen nudges? This piece examines how power now shapes us via algorithms, feeds, and distractions. Drawing on Rousseau, Berlin, Foucault, and Sartre, it asks: in a world built to predict and guide behavior, is freedom still possible? Stay curious. Question the feed. Real freedom begins when we think beyond what’s handed to us.

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power John Rees power John Rees

Strongmen and Soft Words

From euphemisms and slogans to sentimental appeals, modern authoritarianism often arrives in language that sounds soothing — even noble. But beneath the softness lies something more sinister.

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power John Rees power John Rees

The Meaning Wars

From “fake news” to “special military operations,” this is how political language is quietly reshaped to suit those in power — and why the change matters for how we understand truth and authority.

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Why Words Have Lost Their Meaning

Ludwig Wittgenstein is hard to understand. He was a puzzling, exacting thinker who profoundly changed how we see language, especially how words acquire meaning and how ordinary language shapes our view of the world.

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