Numerous Narratives 🍁

Atomic essays, mini explorations, and a digital garden of diverse ideas – welcome! This is my space for creative experimentation, a place where fiction and reality collide. You'll find reflections on everything from economics and politics to culture and technology, alongside the development of my novel and nonfiction projects. My tools of choice? I am an advocate for Open Source Software such as Ubuntu and ZorinOS Linux working in a Gnome desktop Linux environment on all my personal laptops, Standard Notes, Signal with journalists, Manuskript, and the secure writing environment of theQuill.app. The views shared here are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer or any organizations I am affiliated with. My perspectives may evolve over time as I strive to maintain an open mind. This blog offers a snapshot of my thoughts at specific moments, capturing ideas that resonated with me then. Please note that some older posts may no longer align with my current views. - - -

@GaryArmstrong GaryArmstrong.blog

The Captured Republic: How Foreign Influence Rewrote American Power

June 26, 2025•558 words

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society." ~ Edward Bernays "A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within." ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero "The modern dictatorship is a committee government, a government of nobody, because everybody on the committee can always blame somebody else." ~ Hannah Arendt Reading and listening to an interview of Dr. Jeffr...

A Strike on Sovereignty, The U.S. Bombing of Fordow and How the U.S. Pulled Away from the Edge of Nuclear War (Fictional)

June 25, 2025•1,084 words

“The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.” ~ Albert Einstein “In war, truth is the first casualty.” ~ Aeschylus “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” ~ Sun Tzu In the early hours of June 22nd, the world stood closer to the edge than it had in decades. Just three days after the surprise U.S. airstrike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, intelligence briefings began circula...

When Truth Becomes a Weapon: The Rise of Narrative Competitive Authoritarian Power

June 24, 2025•677 words

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” ~ George Orwell “The truth is not simply what you think it is; it is also the circumstances in which it is said, and to whom, why, and how it is said.” ~ Vaclav Havel “Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.” ~ Noam Chomsky “The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.” ~ George Orw...

The Pursuit of Progress in a Competitive Authoritarian American Regime

June 23, 2025•804 words

"Elections are held, but they are not fair. Rights exist, but they are violated. Institutions look democratic, but they are warped." ~ Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way "Democracy is not an all-or-nothing affair. Many regimes fall somewhere in between full-fledged democracy and outright dictatorship." ~ Fareed Zakaria "The erosion of democratic norms is more often a slow, quiet process than a sudden collapse." ~ Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt "Modern authoritarianism wears the mask of dem...

Empire of Lies: How Governments Manipulate Words as Weapons of Truth to Justify Bloodshed

June 22, 2025•806 words

"The people don't want war, but they can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders... All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism." ~ Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader, during the Nuremberg Trials "Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." ~ George Orwell "The media's job is not to report the facts; it’s to maintain the illusion ...

Aid, Empire, and the Art of Coercion... When Diplomacy Deceives and Weaponizes Charm of Foreign Policy

June 21, 2025•412 words

"America’s cultural hegemony has always been a velvet glove covering the iron fist of its foreign policy." ~ Arundhati Roy "We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality... We're history’s actors... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." ~ Unnamed senior Bush administration official (often attributed to Karl Rove) "Aid is just another arm of foreign policy. It's not given altruistically. It's given with strings attached, to build dependency, to extract ...

From Gaza to Tehran: Mapping a Trail of Militarized Ethnic Cleansing, Funded and Supported by USA and Using Israel as the Proxy

June 20, 2025•701 words

“Israel's campaign in Gaza cannot be justified as self-defense. It has become a war of collective punishment, targeting an entire civilian population in ways that fulfill the legal definition of genocide.” ~ Nathan Thrall “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide against Palestinians as a group in Gaza has been met.” ~ Francesca Albanese “The massacre in Gaza is not a reaction to a threat, it is a premeditated act of ethnic ...

Distinct and Contrasting Historical Narratives for Iran and Israel, Concerning Conflict and Nuclear Capabilities

June 19, 2025•723 words

“The portrayal of Iran as irrational and suicidal has served as a justification for preemptive action, while Israel’s opaque nuclear posture is tolerated, if not endorsed, by the very powers that demand transparency from Iran.” ~ Trita Parsi “Israel’s policy of nuclear opacity—never confirming, never denying—has been a cornerstone of its security doctrine, even as it condemns Iran’s nuclear ambitions as existential threats.” ~ Avner Cohen “Iran has not attacked any country in over two centuri...

A Manufactured War Demanding Surrender, Delivering Destruction: A New Era of Modern Authoritarian Imperialism

June 18, 2025•435 words

"The demand for unconditional surrender prolonged the war and multiplied the horrors inflicted on civilian populations, not to mention the justification it provided for the atomic bombings." ~ Howard Zinn “When powerful states demand unconditional surrender from weaker ones, it is not peace they are after, but submission. This has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with control.” ~ Noam Chomsky “Unconditional surrender is often less about ending war and more about annihilating th...

An American President Warning to Tehran: No Deal? Evacuate or Face Oblivion

June 17, 2025•270 words

"The deliberate targeting of civilians, whether by terror bombings or otherwise, is a war crime. No cause justifies the mass murder of non-combatants." ~ Howard Zinn "The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one: don't let it happen. It depends on you." ~ George Orwell "The policy of indiscriminate bombing, whatever its justifications, sows hatred, prolongs war, and creates generations of enemies." ~ Noam Chomsky "We are the inheritors of a terrifying legacy ...

Iran Targeted—the Trump Administration and the Israeli Netanyahu Administration a Secretive Treacherous Planned Surprise Attack During Peace-Talks

June 16, 2025•662 words

“In politics and war, deception is often most lethal when peace appears most likely.” ~ William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich “Pearl Harbor not only destroyed ships and lives, it shattered the illusion that diplomacy could restrain imperial ambition.” ~ Ian Toll, Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific “To negotiate with one hand while arming the other is a timeless tactic of states that do not truly seek peace.” ~ Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy “History shows that surprise...

Silent Game of Shadows: Power, Preemption, and the Art of Strategic Imperialistic Backstabbing

June 15, 2025•429 words

Israel’s strikes and covert operations within Iran over the past 25 years are strategic ruthlessness. These actions, targeted assassinations and pinpoint airstrikes with Ai drones, missiles, and F-35s fighter jets, may seem, at first glance, to violate international treaties and United Nations moral codes that govern the conduct of war and peace. But to view them through a purely legal or ethical lens is to misunderstand the nature of imperialistic power itself. Imperialistic power is rarely cl...

Everyday Bball Training For My Son, My Kid, My Student Athlete, My Youngest

June 14, 2025•720 words

PARKER and his parents.... For years! Since Parker was 8 years old... And his older brother trained everyday for years... We do weights or "strength training", EVERYDAY! Plyometrics twice a week for years. We do BASKETBALL TRAINING, EVERYDAY! We get him to do speed track Sprint training twice a week at the University Butterdome during the winter and at Scona and at St. Albert through the spring-summer-fall year for the past 5 years. Everyday, minimum of 420 makes from layups, floaters and r...

Two Sons: One Emotional Chaos & One Emotional Calm

June 13, 2025•581 words

“One man is a storm, quick to thunder. The other, a still pond — dangerous only when disturbed.” ~ Rudyard Kipling “Temper is the only thing you can’t get rid of by losing it.” ~ Jack Nicholson “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” ~ Lao Tzu “The strong man is not the one who can use force, but the one who can control himself when angry.” ~ Prophet Muhammad “In the clash of brothers, one burns like wildfire, the other freezes like stone...

The Sleek, Modern, Fast, Linux GNOME Desktop Environment

June 12, 2025•443 words

"GNOME is designed to be streamlined and distraction-free, helping users focus on their tasks rather than managing their desktop." ~ Allan Day, GNOME Design Team "GNOME offers a clean, modern user experience that emphasizes simplicity, speed, and getting out of the user's way." ~ Jim Hall, FreeDOS Project Founder and Linux Writer "GNOME might very well be the most efficient desktop interface available, especially for those who prefer keyboard-driven workflows." ~ Jack Wallen, TechRepublic "G...

Christian Leaders Respond in Writing to Trump’s Travel Ban and Immoral Immigration Crackdown

June 12, 2025•453 words

"We follow Jesus, who was himself a refugee, and we will resist any policy that denies others the refuge he and his family were given." ~ Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde (Episcopal Diocese of Washington) "This ban is not about safety. It’s about hate. It’s about scapegoating Muslims and immigrants for political gain. And religious leaders must call it what it is—immoral." ~ Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (President, Repairers of the Breach) "These actions go against the values we hold as a nation a...

When Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Are Banned

June 10, 2025•575 words

"To be anti-racist is to recognize that policies not only reflect inequality—they create it. Banning equity initiatives doesn't remove bias, it reinforces it." ~ Ibram X. Kendi "When you strike down diversity programs, you strike down the very tools we use to confront structural inequality. Silencing DEI is silencing progress." ~ Kimberlé Crenshaw "A society that bans equity and inclusion initiatives reveals its deep commitment to maintaining the status quo of injustice." ~ Cornel West "With...

Amnesty International Has Condemned the Measure As ‘Discriminatory, Racist, and Downright Cruel’

June 9, 2025•256 words

In response to President Trump imposing a new discriminatory travel ban on visitors from Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, and a partial travel ban on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela By endorsing Trump's travel ban, you are committing to policies that are seen as unfair, racist, and discriminatory. Those from Black, Brown, or Muslim-majority countries...

Theft of Food and Survival in Gaza

June 9, 2025•272 words

"Where there is hunger, law and order collapse. Theft becomes survival." ~ Raj Patel "The man who is hungry steals, not because he is a thief, but because he is hungry." ~ Victor Hugo "A hungry man is not a free man." ~ Adlai E. Stevenson II "When you are hungry, you will break any law and cross any boundary." Chris Hedges "If you steal food to survive, is it a crime or a consequence of society’s failure?" ~ Noam Chomsky You are in a place where people are fighting for their lives every ...

Thief of Food

June 8, 2025•232 words

You accuse an individual of theft at the same time you give them food, and then you turn around and accuse them of stealing the very food you just gave. Think about that. How can that make sense? As Christians, or Muslims, or Buddhists, or Jewish, or Sikhs gave someone food, you willingly handed it over. You can’t then claim they stole it. That’s a contradiction. You can’t say “this is yours” and then act like they took it without permission. If you do, you’re twisting the truth to fit your own...

The diabolic emotions of jealousy, hatred, and RACISM!

June 7, 2025•221 words

These are diabolic emotions, rooted in internalized racism, marked by discrimination, and driven by hatred. Jealousy may seem paradoxical, why would anyone envy a people who have faced historical oppression? Yet it comes from a deeper resentment, the spiritual resilience, cultural richness, and unbroken connection to land that Indigenous people still hold. Those who’ve lost their own sense of rootedness may, instead of confronting their emptiness, project it outward, masking envy with contempt...

Grace, Modesty, & Thankfulness

June 6, 2025•236 words

"Grace is not a little prayer you chant before a meal. It is the life of God being poured into you." ~ Joyce Meyer "Modesty is the gentle way to power." ~ Charles R. Swindoll "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~ Marcel Proust When you face suffering or misfortune, choosing to endure it without loud complaint or bitterness is a quiet act of grace. This grace isn't just about staying calm, it's about carrying yourself...

Common Day Machiavellian

June 5, 2025•271 words

Reading The Prince, it makes a person think about actual dysfunctional relational aggressive individuals... Imagine you find yourself in a situation where someone begins spreading lies about you, not because of anything you've done but because of the way they perceive you. Maybe you have achieved something they haven’t, or you receive attention they feel they deserve. In their eyes, your success becomes a threat, and tearing you down becomes a way for them to regain control or feel superior. ...

Underhanded Tactics and the Abuse of Power

June 4, 2025•209 words

Reading Robert Greene and so much is true about unethical underhanded tactics. When you're dealing with someone who craves control and thrives on chaos, you often become the target of subtle, underhanded tactics. A narcissist rarely confronts you directly, doing so would require acknowledging you as an equal. Instead, they operate from the shadows, manipulating, twisting, and deceiving while keeping their true motives hidden, behind closed doors, strategizing for another attack. You may find ...

America As Warfighters For Hegemony

June 3, 2025•244 words

“The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug.” ~ Chris Hedges, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning "We sent them to war. They come back different. And we don’t understand why.” ~ Sebastian Junger, Tribe The video is mainly focused on the former radical far right Fox network commentator, now Secretary of Defense of the most powerful military in the world, discussing how most of America are warfighters and they are ready to fight against China?! Crazy, ridicul...

A Golden Dome Bribe Is a Bribe and Canada Won’t Take It

June 2, 2025•226 words

“The prospect of an arms race in outer space is a matter of serious concern.” ~ Kofi Annan “The weaponization of space will ultimately lead to the weaponization of Earth.” ~ Craig Eisendrath “Preventing an arms race in space is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for the survival of our species.” ~ Alice Slater “The biggest threat to satellite security is not science fiction—it’s geopolitical rivalry.” ~ Brian Weeden “Space is becoming congested, contested, and competitive.” ~ U.S. Department of ...

Logotherapy, Short-term Goals, & Long-term Goals

June 1, 2025•315 words

"Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~ Viktor E. Frankl "Logotherapy focuses on the meaning of human existence as well as on man's search for such a meaning." ~ Viktor E. Frankl "Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose." ~ Viktor E. Frankl "Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, ...

What Economic Low-Cost Strategy Can Reduce the High Crime Rates in the Rural Areas of Canada?

May 31, 2025•434 words

"Criminality is always the result of poverty." ~ Jacob Zuma "A large part of crime is economics - if people are working and and have a home and family to support, then I believe you can reduce the crime rate." ~ Frank Vincent "With the frenzied pace in our own country, with the degenerating school system, with a crime rate that rises 30% a year, and with politicians that seem more interested in posturing than in governing, it has become more difficult, or should I say challenging, to achieve ...

Enjoying A Live Pro Basketball Game With My Boy

May 31, 2025•226 words

“Watching a live basketball game is like riding a wave of adrenaline. You never know when the tide will turn.” ~ Charles Barkley “The beauty of live basketball is its unpredictability. One shot, one moment, and the whole game changes.” ~ Doc Rivers “In the arena, with the crowd roaring and the game clock ticking, that's where legends are born.” ~ Kobe Bryant For me, going to a professional basketball game can be a calming experience. The precise rules, goals, and concentrated skill on disp...

Ambiguity in Education and Learning

May 30, 2025•356 words

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ~ William Butler Yeats “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” ~ Alvin Toffler “One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated.” ~ Thomas More “To teach is to make a space where the community of truth is practiced.” ~ Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach The lecture is still fresh in your...