Political Mirroring Index
Purpose: To index the volumes of Mirroring (2017-present), important media, and Case Studies applying this philosophy to then current events. It will be updated as new volumes are released. The purpose of Mirroring is to combat irrational political speech and to create a guidebook for pragmatic Mirroring agents to decide whether conversations are worth engaging, observing, or leaving. The point is to save time and devote ourselves to a better purpose for society's sake.
All briefs are generated from the original volumes using Notebook LM and artwork is generated using Facebook Meta A.I., Chat GPT, and Google Gemini. A.I. Podcast through Notebook LM are published using Sound Cloud. Songs are not owned by this Blog's author and are found on Youtube.
Table of Contents:
1. Main Volume Index (with Links)
2. Case Studies Index (with Links)
3. Volume Cover Art, Summaries, and Podcasts
1. Main Volumes Index
Volume I: Political Mirroring: A Sarcastic Political Philosophy (12/1/2017)
Volume II: Political Mirroring: Mirrors Strike Back Sarcastically (11/4/2018)
Volume III: Political Mirroring Trinity: The Return of Practical Justice (12/29/2019)
Volume IV: Harmony Havens: Peace Be With You. And Also With (Anyone But THEM) (10/25/2020)
Volume V: A Parlor's Parlay (12/8/2021)
Volume VI: Empires of Mass Abstraction (12/26/2022)
Volume VII: Reclaiming Our Time (12/30/2023)
Volume VIII: The Struggle Session (12/30/2024)
2. Mirroring Case Studies Index
1. Case Study #1: Impeachment, the Senate, and the Selective Misuse of History in Political Conversations (11/1/2019)
2. Case Study #2: Quarantine Meme Busting (8/17/2020)
3. Case Study #3: Lame Duck Diary (1/20/2021)
4. Case Study #4: Criminal Justice in the Braggadocious Style (4/24/23)
5. Case Study #5: Bananas: Tales from the Late American Republic (7/18/24)
3. A.I. Volume Summaries, Video Overviews, and Cover Art
Volume I: Political Mirroring: A Sarcastic Political Philosophy (12/1/2017)
Photo Interpretation: Two diametrically opposed debate monsters struggle over their beliefs. They are irrational and use fallacies to attempt domination. They seek total victory over each other and want their audience to share their views by seeing those beliefs reflected in the mirror. The purpose isn't progress or some productive purpose, but unity and Harmony.
Brief:
"Political Mirroring: A Sarcastic Political Philosophy" proposes a strategic approach to navigating contemporary political discussions, particularly those characterized by emotional, illogical, and abstract arguments. The core idea, "Political mirroring," involves willingly accepting another's political beliefs for the sake of expediency and conversational harmony, rather than genuine agreement. This method is presented as a means for a "Mirroring Agent"—an individual of "intellectual superiority" at least in that context—to preserve their own rational thought and achieve practical outcomes, without directly confronting the "irrational, current political debate." It argues that this is an "altruistic" act, as it requires the rational individual to sacrifice their desire to correct flawed arguments for the emotional well-being of the less rational debater, ultimately aiming to foster social "harmony" in a world of simplistic political discourse."
Volume II: Political Mirroring: Mirrors Strike Back Sarcastically (11/4/2018)
Photo Interpretation: The False path is the one that misleads us, that directs us towards irrational thinking, and that costs us time and energy that could be used to have a more productive and happier society. Here, then former Vice President Joe Biden represents a politician going the wrong direction as he chases a German Shepherd down the False path instead of campaigning for votes.
Brief:
"The Politics of Mass Abstraction: Political Mirroring Volume II: Mirrors Strike Back Sarcastically" introduces "Mirroring," a pragmatic philosophy for navigating unproductive political discussions. The core idea is "belief acceptance + context = harmony," where rational individuals (mirrors) temporarily accept emotional or irrational arguments from others to maintain peace and then disengage. The text emphasizes that genuine "truths" are relative and found through what works (Pragmatism), contrasting them with absolute "Truths" often based on "fossil ideologies," "totems," or emotional appeals like "emotion flares" or "infantilism." The author advocates for "self-selection"—the conscious choice to be rational and remove oneself from illogical debates for the greater societal benefit, ultimately seeking to foster more logical and less emotional political discourse.
Video Overview (Volumes I and II combined):
Photo Interpretation: The Marvel supervillain Thanos uses his six justice stones to sit in judgement of others so that he gets the justice that only he seeks and thinks he deserves.
Brief:
"The Politics of Mass Abstraction: Political Mirroring Volume III: The Return of Practical Justice" introduces a philosophy of "mirroring" and defines various forms of "justice" as perceived in conversations, such as Combat Social Justice (physical action as justice) and Mueller Exonerative Justice (accusation without formal charges), highlighting how these often diverge from traditional legal concepts of due process. It further explores the nature of selfish social behavior, where individuals prioritize winning debates over seeking truth, and critiques the use of hearsay and Tapperist Conspiracies (dismissing evidence based on ideology) in arguments. Ultimately, the text offers a framework for "mirror agents" to navigate these irrational discussions, seeking to foster more logical outcomes by understanding the underlying emotional and ideological drivers of conversational justice.
Video Overview:
Volume IV: Harmony Havens: Peace Be With You. And Also With (Anyone But THEM) (10/25/2020)
Photo Interpretation: A soldier watches a bunch of Vietnam-era hippies as they celebrate together in Harmony. The message is that people want ideological harmony and want threats to their perception of it policed and eliminated if necessary.
Brief:
"The Politics of Mass Abstraction: Political Mirroring Volume IV: Harmony Havens" explores the dynamics of irrational political conversations and introduces a philosophy called "Mirroring." The author defines key terms like "peace" (a cessation of debate, not necessarily agreement) and "harmony" (a perception of complete agreement and emotional unity, often desired by irrational debaters). The document dissects various "barriers to rational consensus," such as "Lies from the Tablecloth" (negative, unchangeable narratives), "Cherry Picking the Historical Grove" (selective use of facts), and the "Phantom Empathy Zone" (a perceived lack of empathy used to silence opponents). It also introduces "Counterinsurgent Conversation Strategies" (CCS) as a methodology for "mirror agents" to navigate and stabilize unproductive discussions, ultimately aiming to achieve a form of peace or perceived harmony. The overarching goal is to equip readers with tools to identify and disengage from arguments that prioritize emotion and abstract "Truths" over reason and facts.
Video Overview:
Relevant Media: "B.Y.O.B." by System of a Down, origin of LiFT (Lies from the Tablecloth). Narratives are seen as so foreign and hostile that literally they can't be presented even if it's from family sitting at the same dinner table, eating on the same tablecloth.
Volume V: A Parlor's Parlay (12/8/2021)
Photo Interpretation: A group of pirates sit in a Parlor conducting a Parlay, much like in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. They're in agreement that no opponents should be present, the rules should be bent in their favor, and they should feel free to plunder any enemies foolish enough to walk into their lair.
Brief:
"Volume V: A Parlor's Parlay focuses on navigating irrational political discourse. The author introduces key concepts such as the "Parlay," representing the content of irrational speech, and the "Parlor," which defines the entire context or environment of a debate, highlighting how these elements often favor emotional appeals over logic. The piece elaborates on "Lived Experiences" (LyEs) and "Hystorical LyEs" (iLyEs) as fallacious arguments that shut down rational discussion by appealing to subjective personal or historical narratives. Furthermore, it identifies "Hexers" and "Doxers" as archetypes of "Debate Monsters" who employ defensive or offensive tactics, respectively, to suppress opposing viewpoints. Ultimately, the text offers "Mirroring" as a strategy for individuals to recognize and respond to these irrational dynamics, aiming to minimize personal stigma and promote a more harmonious, albeit imperfect, conversational environment."
Video Overview:
Volume VI: Empires of Mass Abstraction (12/26/2022)
Photo Interpretation: The edifice of ideology is represented like the Empire in the Star Wars universe. These mighty belief systems seek more power while preserving them against challenges to their authority and regardless of the rebel's legitimacy.
Brief:
"The Empires of Mass Abstraction examines the dynamics of power and political discourse, particularly through the lens of Mirroring philosophy. It introduces several key concepts, such as Micropower to describe interpersonal power struggles using irrational arguments, and Raw Power for compliance achieved through force. The work also explores Decision Fog, referring to flawed information processing in power, and differentiates between Legitimate and Illegitimate Resistance to authority. Furthermore, it critiques institutional inefficiencies ("Schlamperei") and analyzes "Safespace Parlors" as environments that stifle rational debate, concluding with case studies of four dominant American political factions to illustrate these abstract concepts in practice."
Video Overview:
Volume VII: Reclaiming Our Time (12/30/2023)
Photo Interpretation: A mirroring agent represents the present context of debates and holds a watch to track the wasting of their time. Facing left is a statue of Herodotus, the Greek father of History, who represents looking into the past. Facing right is Cassandra, the cursed princess of Troy, who was doomed to warn about the future in her prophecies while her people ignored her.
Brief:
"Reclaiming Our Time proposes a rational view of political discourse, emphasizing disengagement from unproductive conversations to save time from Mirrored Non-Playable Characters (MNPCs). The sources explain how historical information is frequently misused through Additive History, which employs false claims to strengthen arguments, and Retributive History, which leverages past events to justify present demands or punishments, often relying on an Acontextual Imperative that takes events out of context to dictate current actions. To counter this, Groundhog Scrutiny offers a three-tiered system for evaluating historical comparisons in debates, ranging from rejecting obvious fallacies to requiring rigorous, contextually sound evidence. Furthermore, the concept of Historical Totems (HiTs) highlights how objects or ideas are irrationally used as shields in debates, while Historical Safe Spaces (HISS) are presented as environments that restrict open dialogue by enforcing approved historical narratives, reinforcing beliefs rather than fostering rational discussion. Finally, the texts describe the Mirror Future as an irrational projection combining unachievable goals, unresolvable complaints, and an acontextual imperative, underscoring the philosophy's focus on practical, rational engagement in the De Facto Present."
Volume VIII: The Struggle Session (12/30/2024)
Photo Interpretation: A person is being stigmatized by society and is forced to wear a dunce hat as a humiliating punishment while being heckled and attacked by the mob.
Brief:
"The Politics of Mass Abstraction: Political Mirroring Volume VIII: The Struggle Session" introduces a "Mirroring" philosophy designed to navigate increasingly irrational and emotional political discourse. It defines various key terms such as "Subject," "Mirror Agent," "Victim," and "Harmony" to describe roles and desired outcomes in political interactions. The text critically examines "Struggle Sessions," adapted from the Chinese Cultural Revolution, as a non-violent therapeutic mission to bring harmony, though acknowledging the potential for "stigma" and harm to those who dissent. Central to this approach are the "Struggle Session Calculus" and "Stigmatic Calculus," which attempt to quantify the pleasure of a "Subject" and the pain/stigma experienced by a "Mirror" or "Victim" during ideological disagreements. The document also explores concepts like "Identity Safety," "Emotional Support Children" (ESC), and "Stigmatic Totems" (SiT) to explain how individuals protect their beliefs and use others or objects to reinforce their political positions, ultimately offering an "8 Step Program" for rational self-reflection and recovery in a polarized political landscape."
Video Overview:
Relevant Media: "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project, which in conjunction with the great lidless Eye of Sauron from the "Lord of the Rings" books and utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham's special self-enforcing prison system, is the inspiration for the all-seeing eye, or Mirror Panopticon, that endlessly searches for opponents worthy of stigma.
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