Highly original in its style, this film definitely won’t suit everyone, but I found it engrossing and effective. Slow-paced voyeurism of family-life across the garden wall from Auschwitz, yet they go about their daily lives more or less unperturbed.

Insidiously disturbing.

Not just because this is a true account of a family then, but of what it says about humans in general, our capacity for depravity and callousness. The stories we tell ourselves to quiet our conscience and satisfy our egos, fears, desires. To override our humanity.

This film might take place during Nazi controlled Europe, but it reaches far beyond that time. It finds us here as a metaphor for the West and how we go about our lives with some level of awareness of the plight of the “Third World” and how their troubles benefits us. Like the characters in the film we can turn away or tune it out, dehumanize and rationalize. Worried about our children’s welfare, but insensitive to the sick and starving.

The Höss Family may seem exceptional in their callousness, but how many times have we seen this before? Slavery, Jim Crow Laws, South Africa and so on. And now, the Israeli atrocities in Palestine and other current, horrific world tragedies. Are any of us fully immune to propaganda and societal messages that stereotype, demean and other?

Just as ethnicity doesn’t determine your worth, it also doesn’t determine you capability for wrong doing. Being human does. We are susceptible to cultural conditioning regardless of genetic make-up.

This film is a warning. We need a new story and that story begins with cultivating our innate compassion. For each time (and I heard someone say this in an interview, but can’t recall who) we dehumanize others, we lose a bit of our own humanity.

Veganism is not a fad diet to lose weight and/or get more healthy.

It has nothing to do with fasting. Vegans don’t only eat fruit.

It is not about amassing online followers with your groovy, plant based lifestyle.

It is not a diet!

Veganism is an ethical stance against any form of animal exploitation.

One can be an unhealthy vegan. Or a super healthy one. That’s up to the vegan.

The chances are that when a celebrity or content creator stops being vegan, they never truly were. They were on a diet.

Although, veganism is highly beneficial for the environment, animal agriculture being the second highest cause of Climate Change, one should never lose sight of animal liberation. Veganism is a potent package that can free animals from exploitation, combat climate change and other environmental issues, and prevent and reverse certain diseases, including, possibly, preventing harmful viruses. Surely, one of those benefits can shift your cultural conditioning, just a tad, are you not even curious to try some amazing plant based foods?

Otherwise, we’re trapped in a cycle of abuse. Animals, earth, earth, animals, leading to our own self-destruction.

So, make the initial change for anthropocentric concerns, if you must. Do it out of curiosity. But stick with it for the animals.

Make a small change then steadily expand to everything you eat, wear, drink, use. The more we do it, the more they will strive to come up with satisfying alternatives. We have the power.

Don’t buy into Big Ag propaganda and political rhetoric. Veganism is not an evil, elitist plot to take over the world by weakening humanity. It’s a key factor in saving us. I’ll say it again, we have the power!

Come on, let’s change our food system to one that doesn’t rely on abusing the earth and animals.

Purification and renewal are symbolized by fire, along with creativity, passion and desire.

Protection and safety, fanned from a spark, encircling the fire, the light in the dark.

Vitality, energy, intuition, the divine, fire oh fire a positive sign.

Yet fire can burn and rage untamed. Not freedom, but anger and war and pain.

Not warmth, but acres of forest aflame. Not comfort but temperatures gone insane.

Will we rise like the phoenix, renewed and evolved?

The flame of compassion, our problems solved?

An alchemical transformation, our hearts of gold?

All the burning greed and hate gone cold?

(I'm NO poet, but enjoyed the challenge.)

Like a seed, love is a noun.

Love is a seed planted within us all.

Like a seed, love can lay dormant, oppressed by layers of darkness. Trapped within infertile soil. A pulsating, pushing presence, frustrated!

Love must become a verb. Germinating, reaching, rooting. It must be nurtured, watered, fed. From seedling to plant, growing! Love is a verb.

Like a plant it relies on its environment, its community to grow.

Like bees to the flowers, love entices, love enthralls, love is beauty and nourishment. Scented and sweet, entrapping. Freeing like pollen on the wind. Love blooms in many varieties.

Its roots pervade our existence. Like a tree it is our breath. Like mycelium, it is our foundation.

It must be tended!

The glossed over atrocities of the United States (historic and current), are woven into the attitude of its government and the many propagandized citizens. It is apparent in the brazen patriotism: a childlike or childish defense of all things American based on, indoctrination, omission and outright lies. Contrary to the stereotype, Americans aren't stupid, just woefully uninformed and insular. And that's just how the government wants them.

As a child growing up in the US I, of course, learned about the violent displacement of the indigenous peoples, but only on a superficial level and right along with the glory of The Founding Fathers, The Pilgrims and The Revolution. I never learned about the horrendous boarding schools, the infected blankets and so on, in short, the genocide. I never learned about the Filipino war or much about the Korean war. If some Hollywood films told the story of corruption and CIA meddling, more films sang the praises of the US, insidiously or outright. This not only made me receptive to American exceptionalism, it also kept me in a state of cognitive dissonance. How was the US so exceptional when also so bad. But that's the key. Ramp up the exceptionalism to the point where no matter what the US does to another culture/country, US citizens believe it was a necessary act. That is, if they even learn about it.

Now, the US is certainly not alone in using extreme savagery to sort out the so called savages, the British are a prime example of a country adept at this, but that is irrelevant. It also doesn't matter that some of the victims of US imperialism were pretty bad themselves. These are not excuses for colonization, coups, invasions, bombs, torture and on and on and on. Even worse (if possible), when committed by a country that sells itself as the heroes of the world and tells its own people fairy tales.

I don't think that the American people of today (and that goes for other colonizing countries as well) need to live in perpetual guilt for what their ancestors did, but they need to learn about the history, ALL OF IT, every last detail. See it for what it was and should never be again. Informed they can decide what they think of their country: do they want to leave, or stay and make it a better place? Face the past, process it and move on. This would free up US citizens of any burden they may carry, as well as making them more compassionate and wiser people. It would also allow the victims of this tyranny to be truly seen, thus initiating healing from intergenerational trauma. Respect Due! *

Sadly, the US has no intention of stepping down from their pedestal. No intention of telling the stark truth. There will be no war crime trials for any politicians. The Republicans will present the past as a necessity that, actually, had some handy advantages for the victims, and the Democrats will pay lip service to some of the US crimes while engaging in current ones. America may not always send troops, but they will send weapons. Hypocrisy and gaslighting continue.

Despite this, I'm pleased to see many young Americans now aware of this fact, and articulate it well, along with some good, online, alternative news sources and commentary. The lids off the box and the truth is flying out. Heartening and exciting, but not enough. So many still respond with either visceral defensiveness if their righteous image is challenged, or with a softer, 'but we meant well' attitude. Their own identity is so wound up in the US identity, they must excuse any wrong doing.

But there is no excuse. You can't use the other side's bad behavior as a reason to invade, attack, colonize, interfere etc. If that's your criterion then the U.S. would be long gone.

I read a comment by a German guy stating that after World War II, a part of Germany should have been given to the Jewish people for them to make a country. For a moment, I was like, that would have been a great idea. And then it dawned on me. No, because the US would have just created another Western type country in place of Israel. That's not even taking into account the Christian and Judaic reasons for wanting Israel to remain where it currently is.

Alas, the trauma of the Jewish people has been exploited to create an unstable and manipulative set up. An enabled cycle of fresh trauma and revenge deeply tragic for all the people living there. A situation that has now escalated into a genocide of Palestinians.

Thoughts on responses to this type of critique:

If you criticize the US, you're bound to get a comment along the lines of: you spout a lot of hate towards your country without even realizing how great it is that you can speak freely without persecution.

But is this always true? There are examples where it is not. The Red Scare, for one. Malcom X another. And there are more.

And isn't the whole point of freedom of speech that you can criticize your government without persecution? So, therefore use it. Just because a country has positive aspects, it doesn't give the government carte blanche to do whatever they want. Should they not be held accountable? Very counterproductive to have the freedom to speak out, but then don't because you're so lucky to be able to.

You will also hear the counter argument stating that no country is an angel and would do the same as the US if they could.

OK. Let's look at invasions of the US. There was 9/11, Pearl Harbor, The Germans and Russians would have liked to. And there was Britain and Mexico. But what about a foreign coup attempt on the US? Or an assassinate attempt? Or lying about weapons of mass destruction as a ploy to invade?  And even if it is true that most countries are fueled by megalomania, greed and conquest, it is no excuse for America's actions. Of course, a country, a people, have every right to defend themselves, but not invade, bomb and meddle. Time and time again!

Furthermore, I don't accept that the current way of the world is the way it has to be. Are humans not meant to evolve as a species? Do we not pride ourselves on our civilized ways? Then why do we not live up to this professed goodness?

But for those Americans who use that excuse in defense of their beloved country, if bullying is the way of the world, why does the government whitewash their atrocities and worse hide them?  Could it be that humans are inherently compassionate with a strong moral compass? And knowing this, the powers that be not only trick you into believing violence is good and necessary, they trick you into believing that struggle, strife and scrambling to the top are the fundamentals of human existence.**

Is it not time that governments world-wide start reflecting the will and ethics of the people?

Why defend a country that lies to you, disrespects your intelligence and actively tries to dumb you down? Why defend a country, any country that claims to be civilized and at the same time rationalizes the slaughter of children.

The US presents a false image to its citizens and the world. They are the purveyors of goodness delivered from the moral high ground. Live up to that or fess up!

Oh and one more thing. No, the US is not the freest and most wonderful place to live in. I have lived in the UK, Germany and Ireland and have never felt my freedoms were oppressed. In fact, the standard of living was higher in many respects.

The US doesn't even show up in the top searches for best county or place to live in.

Do keep in mind that US interference causes destabilization in the targeted countries, and then Americans have the nerve to not want these people showing up at their borders as migrants and asylum seekers. Equally abhorrent is to then accuse these countries of being backwards and inferior, violent and unable without seeing  or admitting to America's hand in it all. This type of argument is used against African Americans, and, in all cases, is used to excuse state sanctioned violence against these people.

*But, of course, those who still benefit from the spoils of slavery, genocide, and colonization (e.g. Germany, The US, The UK) can not fully acknowledge and respect the victims. Or, in the case, of Germany, the gnawing guilt manifests as a terrible allegiance to your former victims. And then  there are the similarities between Israel US origins. It's no wonder some Americans can't condemn Israel when their own county was founded in a similar style.

**If religion is meant to be the path of finding human morality and keeping you there, why do so many religious institutions embrace violence using the same excuses as most world governments?

Joy to the world? The time has come!

To receive many things;

Let every wallet make more room

And the cash registers ring

And the cash registers ring

And profit and profit and pointless bling

Joy to the world? Eating too much!

Let men their bellies fill;

Turkeys, geese, ham, in pot, on plate

In the millions

In the millions,

In the, in the millions.

My thoughts on the differences between Democrat politicians and Republican ones (and their counterparts world-wide).

The Democrats pay lip service to progressive ideals while supporting environmental and climate destruction, and the same ol' hierarchical setup of rich and poor. They bring nothing new, for while they claim to champion change, true structural change is what they fear.

On the other hand, Republicans come right out with their distain for progressiveness, it's an affront to family values, an evil plot by conniving globalist elites. They also fear change, (apparent in the word conservative), and have no issue saying that. In fact, a past glory is what they seek. A mythical time when men, women and children knew their place and all was good and proper.

Handmaid's Tale or two-faced, regardless of the approach, the result is the same. Neither side is relinquishing their power. They are not entertaining a world beyond capitalism. Profit will always eclipse ethics.  And to cloud over this shameful truth, fear mongering, scapegoating, ridiculing and rage baiting are employed. Deceive with populism or duplicitousness. Resort to immediate polar opposite views on issues and hype up the base to follow suit. Divide and conquer as they say!

They have no intention of changing a system that empowers them. Certainly not significant change for the better, but certainly for the worse!

This is a realization I came to long ago, as did many others. An understanding of US politics and politics world-wide that becomes more obvious and frustrating. A situation, we the people, either don't fully comprehend or accept out of a perceived powerlessness.

But must it be so futile?

Are we such slaves to our conditioning that we can't think beyond our upbringing and environment? So emotionally immature that outrage is our immediate response? Can we not dig deeper, look farther, listen well? Feel beyond fear? If not, we will continue to be baited and captured by the powers that be.

A party to our own demise.