A few days ago, I wrote an allegory, “Rise Up Old Mules“, with the full intention of reviewing comments and following up the next day to see if people still held the knowledge of coded writing. [Idalia delayed my review]
An allegory is a literary work that makes extensive use of symbolism in order to communicate a broader moral or meaning. Nearly every aspect of an allegory—from characters, to objects, to dialogue, to settings, to major plot events—can typically be interpreted as having a secondary, symbolic meaning that fits into the allegory’s broader meaning.
In the writing of our forefathers, and even many writings long before and a few still today, allegories were/are used to convey messages publicly that are interpreted with a silent understanding. They were/are essentially coded messages from rebels, insurgent dissidents, in various societies who were working within the boundaries of government review.
You may have vague reference points from similar formats of communication that took place in various prisoner of war camps.
How do POWs communicate when their captors are constantly monitoring their activity? The never spoken language of POW’s in a prison camp has a similar allegorical communication style.
The best allegories communicate from a factual reference point about subject matter, but then weave the current context or power conflict within it so as not to attract the understanding of censors, monitors or those in power who seek to stop any form of communication that is against the interests of the oppressive regime.
It is a communication style lost over time as successive generations no longer taught or had need for the skillset to understand the implied message. However, in this modern era where six corporations control all media; where there is direct collaboration between the government censors and social media platforms over content; where arbiters of acceptable speech under the auspices of “disinformation review panels” are now deployed using both human review and automated intelligence; it is worthwhile revisiting the old ways to understand a method of discussing rebellion in public.
There is one big benefit to the deployment of AI search spiders crawling all over the internet to analyze and identify subversive speech. AI cannot detect allegorical writing patterns, it never will. Current AI sweeps, crawls and searches are based on human inputs to create the pattern context the AI is launched to discover.
Y’all know, I test weird stuff in the tech communication space just to probe how effective the new mechanics are, and create strategies around their constructs. Allegorical writing was designed to communicate subversive information in the sunlight of public presentation. Historically, human censors could not see the implied meaning in allegorical communication, and the content itself – if correctly structured – carries an inherent deniability.
From my review, about half (+/-) CTH readers understood the implied meaning, about half did not. Approximately 10% were absolutely clueless, and a few even found the inverse meaning within the story.
Approximately half of the CTH audience picking up the implications within an allegory is much better than I expected, much better. This is an interesting outcome, although given the high intelligence and specific demographics of the CTH family it makes sense.
My point is this: teach your friends and family, especially the younger family members, how to understand coded public messaging and what context frames the cornerstone of how it is delivered.
The old ways are going to be important if a few strategically placed voices are going to be forced to mount a successful counterinsurgency against an entire UniParty system, that aligns with an oppressive regime.
Mules = soldiers.
Exceptional Mules = special forces.
Collars = rifles.
The silent wise men at auction = leadership (think founding fathers).
The fields = the battles.
The farmers = YOU!
Lot’s of talk.
True tale from yesterday morn.
Stuck my nose outside in the wee hours to hear a disturbance in the force. Placed the just lit cigarette down, (old mules have terrible habits) and shone a mini mag in the general direction. Two green white eyes were revealed in the walnut tree above the chicken pen. The raccoon was interrupted in raiding the chicken feeders and posed an imminent threat to the flock roosting inside the coop.
Grabbed up a scoped .22 that was strategically placed ready to hand and clicked on the red light mounted atop the scope. Moved out and the raccoon climbed ever higher in the old walnut tree whose limbs overhang the pen. When he finally paused and looked down placed one 40 grain pill where it would extinguish his banditry instantly and painlessly. He was graveyard dead before he hit the ground.
No particular emotions were involved other than a slight regret that the raccoon hadn’t stuck to other food sources. I continually hear of backyard chicken flocks being decimated by predators….I lose a few but very few. We depend on the eggs, sell some and consume some.
That’s not the first raccoon of the year nor will it be the last since my transplant New York neighbors thoughtlessly feed the deer intentionally and the raccoons and opossums probably unknowingly. Do I tell them of their folly and unnatural tipping of the local fauna’s balance? No they wouldn’t understand.
Do you understand? What is your reaction to my tale and why?
Have a blessed eve and I hope I didn’t disrupt your slumbers with a single shot in the dark.
I completely understand and we live paralleled lives. We have a neighbor doing the same. My dogs know it too and it is the only reason they drift off our property. Because her intentions are good, I don’t have the heart to tell her that’s not how it works.
And I love this problem we have – too many eggs.
Speaking of eggs; We moved to the country to get out of the city. We expect the worst unless God in his mercy acts. I have neighbors with chickens. I recently bought half gallon jars & picking lime (calcium hydroxide) Eggs can last up to 3 years. Doesn’t work with store bought eggs. The “bloom” protecting the egg must not be washed off. We are storing “vitals” for the next planned event. Community will be very important in the coming days. Prayer too.
The “stakeholders” in the Nordstrom corporation should take away some useful infromation from your tale.
Well at least the coon didn’t block your road with protest!
Not the Joker?
New Batman Nemesis, The Turtle 🐢
My best users of code are C.S Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Tolkien foresaw the invasion of Europe by Africa/Middle East (Orcs) and the 9 rings (Continents/Races) ruled by The One, Globalists. Globalism is Mordor. We are Bilbo. We are Frodo.
Jonathan Swift was mandatory reading when I attended school. His satire and allegories were apparent to anyone who could read when they were published.
Now that one, I totally get.
We in the US are no longer highly educated. The language is now Rap and bad words. At least 40% of your loyal readers are educated in foreign lands and the young ones have received 72 vaccines that debilitate the mind. Your Allegory has too many notes, as was said of Mozart. I did not understand your allegory, yet understand every single phase said by Donald the master Communicator.
Being educated doesn’t necessarily pay either in this Democrat Socialist Paradise…. They’ll just tax you to the level of being an uneducated person. Equality the gift that keeps giving….. if you are a commie.
Here’s a post from the very clever Dilley Meme Team.
It’s a spoof on a very popular Rap song. If you listen to the words, it speaks volumes. Fani Willis is a paid fraud.
“Get down girl, go ahead get down.”
I enjoy the beat and the message being provided.
Hope you do too.
“Get down girl, go ahead get down.”
Sorry, can’t listen to crap rap. Give me a big dose of classic western or story songs and I’m all in.
This classic is relevant today in that everyone thinks things are hopeless until an old mule Texas Ranger shows up and does what needs to be done.
Reply to my own post? oh well. I just wanted to add that this song as an allegory would be Trump as the Ranger, the outlaw is the left, and the big iron is the American people.
This works for me.
I don’t like rap…………… however……………..I certainly see a place for it now.
“highly educated”
No thanks as the “smartest dogs are the easiest to train”.
Thank you SD. I knew there was symbolism, however I rarely conjure up context of soldiers and special forces. I learned something useful.
I am reminded of Michael Yon describing the “grandmothers” on the Hong Kong streets in 2019, when John Batchelor had him on the previous iteration of his program on WABC. These elders always knew everything, and were utterly ignored as being too old to be useful. Being invisible has its advantages.
.
How is Hong Kong doing now?
.
Indeed it does. Even Bob Dylan understands that; he was quoted during the 1970s as saying that the best thing money could buy in America was anonymity.
Thanks S.D. I read with new eyes and it was the same as before. Did not feel the military reference.
Perhaps because I agree with Sun Tzu that the best victories are won without a battle.
To me the story was about deep and resolute spiritual will that manifests in a tenacious but well-considered drive forward.
Taking a focused hold of a challenge and never giving up.
I am reminded of VSG DJT.
I am certain that many on this board feel a a strong sense of duty to further the cause of our nation (the people, not the empire) and the cause of preserving our future and our history. Evil is at the door
Thank you for giving us this forum, and for being an inspiring whisperer of old Mules.
What comes after Amen? Action to help make one’s prayers a reality.
What comes after Amen? By our fruits we shall be known.
What comes after amen…
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” – Shakespeare
Mules are by nature stubborn animals and not easy to tame..They resist the yoke or the bridle. They resist people riding on their backs. Forget about the other analogies. There are better words for those
Drop electronics restart the printing press makes the populations ungovernable… Again!!!
2009 was when the Teaparty went to DC. When I saw media didn’t cover it I told all my friends we have to actually write and have drops.
I understand allegory. And I’m probably one of the few that found the inverse meaning within the story. IMHO, ‘mules’ were nothing more than slaves or indentured servants (forgetting about another definition regarding someone who transports illegal drugs). My point was why pick some downtrodden pack animal? Why not a condor? An eagle? A stallion? Some entity that is brave, strong and FREE???
The mule is perfectly suited for the job at hand. Strong. Immutable. Stubborn. And, a mule will stomp the crap out of coyotes. He requires no gallantry nor reward.
The mule with the collar around his neck does what his owners tell him to do.
Are you prepared and willing, as is the farmer, to set the mules on their path, to prepare them and make choices for them and, thereby, to be responsible for their success in preparing the land for abundant harvests?
There is a nobility and a purpose for all of the beasts that help bring prosperity to mankind.
I have a feeling that you don’t actually live on a farm. And again, your response actually coincides with my issue with using ‘mules’. The farmer MAKES CHOICES for the mules, and is ‘responsible for their success’, as per your interpretation. Which is exactly why I thought that mules were not a good choice for the analogy.
For various interesting reasons, Ben Franklin wanted our national symbol to be the turkey, not the eagle. But here we are.
As the turkey is not a domesticated beast of burden, I would have even preferred that.
Like it or not J, very nearly all of us are slaves to the machine.
As for the homeless problem, sure drugs and mental problems, but has anyone asked how many homeless are folks who have simply opted out of the system? Off grid in the city.
Or been opted out by circumstances they were unprepared for when the bubble they were riding burst.
Sundance, as I write this, I imagine you are dealing with a hurricane and I send prayers up for you and yours. Lately I have had strong prompts to stop posting comments, especially in here, because I know this site in particular is being monitored and I’ve been telling my peeps it’s time to go silent running. I do read and gain info. When I read the allegory on the mules I knew exactly what you were saying. I stopped blogging a few months ago because I felt I had said all I could say in as many ways as I know how to say it. But the reality is, it’s time to speak differently. Time to be more like Corrie Ten Boom. For all the hype on AI, it’s still artificial and certainly not intelligent. It sure can’t read or monitor spoken words or messages published in small fiction books on handwritten notes, like the mules of the Taliban do. Perhaps we need to learn Navajo – understand?
“especially in here, because I know this site in particular is being monitored” –Meemanator
My assumption too. Moreover, the human operatives monitoring us at the Treehouse will have also read Sundanc’s above translation of what mule and collar mean. The decoder ring has been shared to all who come here. No secret language can happen on a very public and monitored forum imo.
I’d add, I’m not at all on board with the direction the mule allegory suggests even if we were in a private environment.
Something to think about, I do. The Gov Whitmer plot that made the news a couple years ago turned out to have been very very heavily infiltrated by FIB informants. In court the legal defense team pointed out that the plot would never have gone anywhere without the efforts, money and leadership of the 14 FIB informanants —who infiltated the group —rose to trusted leadership positions —-and pushed to make it happen.
https://news.yahoo.com/fbi-informants-had-bigger-role-213400243.html
So, the lesson is – be like Corrie Ten Boom. Nuff said.
AND THEY MADE J6 INTO AN INSURRECTION (per the Democrats)
AI CAN read what you say audibly, there are many programs that convert speech to text and text to speech. In fact, my closest friend uses a speech to text app on her cell phone.
In this day of translation by Google, no language barriers exist for AI.
The Taliban mule method works but is slow and clunky, requires physical transit by person, endangering all in the chain.
There’s a method where two parties pick a book in common and communicate by identifying the word on the page numerically. This method works for a tiny group.
Out of earshot of your cell phone you are mostly safe unless they target you.
My daughter is a realtor and she is constantly on the phone with clients. She uses talk text and even when she is very clear it often misinterprets and sometimes those mistakes are hilarious. I just do not think AI is as intelligent as folks want to believe. Not to mention AI depends on electricity or batteries. What will they do if we unplug? Humans are not just amalgamated information. The human mind may not be as fast as a computer but having been a history buff my whole life I can say there have been some remarkable work-arounds in times of great troubles, devised by intutive, creative humans. But, for me, that’s not even the big picture. God always keeps a remnant because He loves to do the most with the least. Those who think AI is a god have some teeth gnashing to endure:-)
No jabs, all brains. My family rocks.
Revisiting the legend of our kin has certainly been needed, but I have been wondering if it is too late… or would have certainly been easier if already done.
Maybe too late for some, but there are those that will make ready.
I deal bests with facts, the flowery verse and hidden meanings are lost on me; just like modern art I can’t get the picture.
I’m as strong as a horse, stubborn as a mule, smart as polecat, and happy as a lark; all the references are facts to paint my portrait. Sly as a weasel would have put me in the allegory type.
An excellent piece of insight. I suggest one change “collars = articulated thoughts”. Guns are not useful against mind=games. woven by paranoid articulate sociopaths. Clear reasoning, well-articulated defending incursion of individual rights of free speech, rights to property, to intellectual innovation and use thereof should be the tool to dismantle the construct of the WEF and other totalitarian thinkers. It needs to be in the language everyone understands, just as Oliver Anthony is doing.
What is needed is clearly articulated critical thinking presented in simple and plain language. The the clearer the idea and the more plain the language the more elegant and more strongly received it becomes.
Nothing is more powerful to capture broad support than fundamental freedoms plainly spoken.
“I suggest one change “collars = articulated thoughts”. Guns are not useful” –John
Agree.
Thomas Paine comes to mind.
oh my. Are you aware there are those who are so programmed they reject plain language? (i.e. “ it depends on what your definition of “is” is.)
Guns could also be an allegory although too many would take it literally. Collars or guns in the form of aimed well thought out assault on the corrupt institutions can be done with zero violence.
Sand is an excellent weapon in that those it is landing upon don’t realize the effect until it is too late. Simply spreading some sand in the oppositions shoes can slow an entire army. We all need the new and improved “Sand Slinger” brought to you by Treehouse Productions. Buy one get one free and if we order now we’ll get the most amazing product yet that turns sand into a rock hard tool. Hurry, supply is limited.
Allegory enhances the story ;-
I have to say i missed the military/soldier aspect. I figured that we would all be the mules, it would be a very deep insurgency. I was wondering about these silent wise men and would there be enough of them. I will have to reread.
I have to admit that I didn’t see the mules as soldiers but I definitely understood that it was about resistance. I just hope people realize that there are many ways to fight back without firing a shot or physically hurting anybody. That should be the absolute last resort. We have much more power than a lot of people understand because we are the people who make this country function. Our leaders are nothing without our skills and our labor. We need to be smart and we need to be clever enough to keep them guessing.
Numbers stations. Worthy of consideration when the skies darken further.
After amen
…after Amen (s )…
Listening and to gather a direction (s) of virtuous resolve to persevere
through adversity-
like adversity
is your best friend – because the process and action refines your character, expresses your God given soul,
during this one time, life journey while physically present
( which sends a signal, ripples the water,
of purpose
for others to notice and also help to make this a better place than how we found it… )
Love thy neighbors
Amen
Sundance, I asked my wife to read your allegorical tale and give it some thought as one would an allegory told by Christ to confuse the Pharisees. I have been telling others in my circle of trust that we need to find a way to talk in code that will not bring the 3AM pounding on the door by the jack booted thugs of our time as all correspondence is being sniffed. Thank you dear sir, thank you.
Thank you Sundance!
As a ham radio operator, I would love to know what you are playing with tech wise. Perchance some of what S2 Underground plays with?
Though I understood the allegory in principle, I did not make all the correct connections. “What comes after Amen?” said it all for me though. There are only two answers: God, and man. God isn’t going to do it for us…
You might enjoy this guy’s videos. I happened to listen to this one today and there’s much to learn from him. I need to watch more of them. He focuses on privacy in today’s world of technology.
Encryption is a red flag to the Federales, they can and do break anything they allow the public to use.
It is only useful to keep the thieves and amateurs out of your business.
Mark, I agree with one huge exception. God does do it for us as he has worked countless miracles on this earth over the last several thousand years in helping man conquer evil. Consider parting of the Red Sea as glorious example. Yes I know old testament.
Democrats are donkeys with horse for brains.
It’s a bait and switch.
Forever Mules Greatest Again
PJT’s reciting of the “Snake”.
I believe it’s Willem Defoe’s scene “The Lion”.
Two other great examples.
Christopher Walken?
Yup, you’re correct!
One of my favorites
AND – hidden in plain sight – HUMOR! The ultimate allegorical language and strategic opposite of the Left’s weaponized language/Critical Theory, et al. Go back and have a close look at those tales of the Hanoi Hilton, for starters.
There’s a reason that the Left doesn’t really get humor and finds it frustrating when aimed at, or near them. This deep-seated, doctrinal and cultural (spiritual?) blind-spot likely informs the OODA loop of their AI implementation, as well. Computers do what you tell them to do, not what you want them to do, after all.
Fight’s On!
Correct Taffy3.AI is only as good as it’s programmer.AI can’t think for itself.
1 Rise up, O Men of God!
Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of kings.
2 Rise up, O Men of God!
The kingdom tarries long;
Bring in the day of Christlike love
And end the night of wrong.
3 Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where his feet have trod;
Led onward by the Son of Man,
Rise up, O Men of God!
Sometimes, allegory needs narrowing….
I saw the mules as the minute men. Once farmers, physically conditioned by the strength needed to conquer the land, who took that strength and perservance to conquer a king. After all, soldiers are simply the men who put the plow down to address a serious engagement. I suppose I got it wrong because I have faith in the real men of America who, when riled, will take the collar off the wall.
I hadn’t read the original. I have now. It’s kind of a bit obviously an allusion, doubly so as posted here, but ok.
There are other amusing forms of communication. The 4/8chan/kun people delight in creating chaff; witness their successful work in getting the left convinced that ‘ok’ is secret racist code. Satire has been very effective of late.
This from Sundance is more “cant” or argot than allegory. That’s fine and well; although in practical use I wouldn’t put it front and center in the public square like this site unless the idea was to get the “wrong people’s” attention. “Hi, it’s me, Mouse! Pardon me while I put this obvious referential broadsheet up here! Romani ite domum!” (/python)
Of late (like the last 25 years or so) the bad actors have been using other means, like forums having nothing to do with their topic, video game discussions, steganography, and so forth to communicate without the general public even being aware there *is* a message to hunt down. (That said, the monitoring tech is orders of magnitude better than then, so watch what you say in game haha).
Personally I’m in favor of the chaos method; so much communication in plain, cypher, and code that one’s opponent is left bewildered and/or chases after wrong targets. (They seek him here, they seek him there.) Or am I suggesting this so the sniffers start trying to read things into all the commentary here and miss the obvious?
That’s enough of my own allusions for now 🙂
Steganography is effective camouflage, but a computer could reveal what is hidden if the correct algorithm is applied. I suspect the Federales have much experience with this.
In game exploit is over.
Chaos is good cover as is sarcasm. One never quite knows what it means without context.
Yoke and Discipleship
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6) Jesus, if we’re willing, releases the yoke of our oppression and encourages us to take on His yoke instead.
He said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” But why wouldn’t we just avoid yokes altogether and do our own thing? Ironically, there is a comfort in being “yoked” to something or someone, when it is a benevolent entity. We must learn the ways of living from somewhere and being completely on our own can be intimidating and overwhelming. Jesus is offering us an opportunity to learn from him and serve a righteous purpose by making our lives easier and meaningful
The context of Jesus’ words of two oxen chosen to share a yoke. The first is an older seasoned ox. He is trained and hardy from years of routine. The second is a new young ox. He has potential but is inexperienced. By sharing the same yoke with a veteran workhorse, the elder trains the young.
Not only that, but the experienced one draws harder to bear the majority of the load. Since the older one leads, the younger ox does not have to wonder what to do. He learns from his mentor and gains the knowledge and skill to teach others.
This very much resembles discipleship. Jesus invites us to ‘learn of Him’ which is another way of stating ‘be my disciple.’ There’s peace in not having to figure life out on our own. There’s assurance as we follow His lead.
Jesus also declares that His yoke is easy. The word ‘easy’ here doesn’t imply ‘simple’, but ‘good’. If I’m yoked to Jesus, there’s peace in being yoked to someone good, loving, and patient.
The paraphrase : “Get in the yoke with me. Let me disciple You. I’ll bear the weight of your burden. My yoke is good and you will find rest and companionship in our labor together.”
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
A young dame and her younger sister loved to spread stories and rumors in their village for personal benefit. They got caught in their mischievous activities and the watchful eyes of their elders never strayed very far. It subdued their actions for a little while but eventually, tired of being watched, the sisters each moved to a different town to resume their favorite activity of telling stories, albeit more subtly.
They lived happily for many decades, grew self-absorbed and wealthy while the world was in turmoil, and garnered many far-distant friends with great influence. The younger sister, emboldened with her success and convinced of her own charm, intellect, and the protection her circle of friends provided, declared she was in charge of all the neighboring villages and that they must obey her if they wanted her good favor. The village elders grew angry and descended upon her house all together, but her friends intervened and pleaded she only be cast out of the village. They succeeded in convincing the elders to divide her wealth to make amends, but leaving her enough to survive elsewhere.
Angry but subdued, the sister left her village and returned to the dame who soothed her ego and promised to return her wealth and influence ten-fold. They would work together to outsmart the elders and the villagers. The sisters gathered all their friends together, even those in far-flung places, and worked out a plan to take over the villages by turning them against their elders and themselves.
With venom on their tongues, the sisters whispered the stories which their friends carried to every village. Stories of imagined wrongs one village perpetrated on another, stories of elders doing horrible things. Soon, the villages whispered the stories themselves, then shouted them in the streets. Before long, villages were fighting villages and creating their own stories of imagined wrongs and horrors. When the elders tried to intervene, the villagers mocked them or struck them down until no elder dared speak up.
I’m incredibly embarrassed to admit I fell into the largely clueless category.
Now I “sensed” a deeper meaning. I guess that is something.
I will reread it. I certainly didn’t get any of the particulars.
Just a vague understanding “time to stand up like our forefathers thing.”
I’m 61, consider myself GenX, moderately high IQ, decently well read and educated in
the sense we would likely mean here. I am hopeful talking about strategies, but it
gives me pause that “with eyes open” I missed it.
And that is only a tad vanity. I don’t have issue with saying I was wrong. Most of the time.
God bless you Sundance. I read and understood your original coded message Sundance. Powerfull!!!!
I am one of those old mules and pray often for the strength and wisdom to serve God as He pleases in the battles to come.
I must say I am stunned to hear that only 50% of CTH group picked up on meaning behind your original message “Rise up old mules”. I guess the old mules are more rare than I thought.
I believe Rings of Power is an allegory for the ancient middle east, what say you? But, what are the rings?