Postmortem
If you're up on the latest, you know that on my first day back in the office since shutdown, I attended a meeting where all were required to be masked. I, of course refused. If you don't remember check out part 6, and part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5 while you're at it! That set up a chain of minor events, which I relay here.
My breech of this corporate court resulted in the courtiers being scattered to the four corners of the office to continue on-line. Truly, it was as if I were infected with bubonic plague. Or perhaps something more dangerous, like the truth. Standing in the conference room abandoned, I felt relief that the confrontation had ended so quickly with retreat of the opposition. However, although the mission's objective of serving management with legal notices had been achieved, the evaporation of my captive audience felt like some sort of a defeat.
As I trudged back to my office I passed a few of the somewhat bewildered attendees now engaged in their hastily reconfigured conference, all unmasked. It struck me that I had in a sense freed them from their weekly ritual of submission. The equivalent of Orwell's morning hate, I like to think. If nothing else, my undercover agent and I had momentarily disrupted the corporate machinery with our monkey wrench dropping.
I got immediate feedback from my two fellow pure bloods of the religious exemption variety. They were both very positive, and consoled my misgivings over not delivering all the key talking points -- the game is long, and this was just the first round. After some back and forth we reached the conclusion that our management had been coached on how to handle me. My flaunting of their authority was accepted quite calmly, and the disbanding of the meeting done so seamlessly that they almost seemed ready for me. Other than telling me I had to have a mask on they were careful not to violate the estoppel, which neither had yet received notice of.
After a couple of hours of nothing much happening I went home. My ability to concentrate was pretty much nil, and I wanted to post the morning's events to GAW anyway.
The Morning After
I returned Tuesday morning, going out of my way to ignore all protocols. It was all for naught, since only three guys, including my confederate from the day before, were there. I have a lot of seniority, so none objected to my wandering the "common areas" unmasked. Even so, the two jabbed zombies sill masked up upon leaving their shared office, which was disappointing. To free someone, they first have to want to be free. To stir up their discomfort, and maybe heighten their level of cognitive dissonance, I would answer the questions they asked me in person, rather than over chat, leaning over them to point things out on the screen. They didn't ask any more questions.
There was some minor activity on the corporate level, however. I got an e-mail signed by one of the Agents target by my legal paperwork telling me that I had missed the vaxx disclosure deadline, and must take care of that. This should at least qualify as a violation of estoppel.
Holding Action
Wednesday I was by myself. Thursday it was just me and the 2nd level, my antagonist from part 6. He was in virtual meetings all morning with some breaks, but never came to visit me. There's no way he didn't know I was there -- he can see the entrance I came in through from his office, and has to walk by mine to reach the restroom, or go out to the parking lot. He left at lunch time.
Battle Plans
It was just me again on Friday. I was to have a year end performance review with my manager, who would be remote. Rather peculiar, since my termination is scheduled for 4 January. I spent the morning preparing a one page PowerPoint for him. I wonder if Siemens ever considered the loss of productivity their mandates would engender. Even if I didn't get a chance to present, the preparation would structure the material in my mind. End the end I didn't use it, but I was fully armed.
The slide contrasted Company Policy with Individual Liberty. The former being structured by Siemens and driven by federal agencies/Biden, and the latter structured by the Constitution and driven by We the People, typifying fascist governments and constitutional republics, respectively.
Whereas he and other managers had agreed or signed a contract with Siemens to uphold company policy, at 17 I had sworn an oath to defend the country and its Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. The same oath taken by millions of men before me who died to preserve that promise of liberty. Unlike an agreement or contract, an oath is legally and morally binding. And is forever. My efforts would not cease.
I know the slide is crowded already, at least in words, but it also depicted a hierarchy of Law with We the People on top and Siemens on the bottom, six levels down under a 1998 charter of incorporation granted by the Oregon Secretary of State, who had sworn oaths to State and Federal constitutions. No person or entity can usurp another's Rights without due process of law, least of all a lowly entity of our creation!
I was using animations to bring these things in as I planned to speak about them. The final item was an overview of Siemens' last go around with Fascism under the Nazis/Hitler and their opportunistic use of slave labor. I knew about this, but didn't have any details until u/NanaQ45 pointed me to this Amazing Polly podcast.
The topic of slave labor put an idea into my head that I would like to polish up and use against the maskers. The masking of slaves is an ancient practice. It was an overt sign of ownership and submission. It was also a means of denying them communication (not to mention oxygen) and dehumanizing them. "Dear manager, still think masking is only about a virus?" Limit this to just the American experience of slavery, which all leftist know is the only slavery worthy of condemnation, and you have a perfect argument for claiming all masking is racist. Has anyone made this argument? I would love to know more.
Happy Ending
At least to the week, that is -- the war wages on. I was ready when the call came in. We exchanged greetings, and talked over current status. Before the review started I told him that I would be working almost exclusively from the office, and that I would not be complying with any mandates. I hastily added that I would not be attending any meetings in-person, to both his and my relief! My point had already been made, and all legal requirements satisfied.
He then launched into a very favorable review, even though I have been distracted for much of the last quarter in criticizing and circumventing Siemens policy, and crafting a way to crush it. Even threatening to take down a few of the main actors. It was so favorable that I got a decent raise and a $2,500 bonus! I joked that after combining the raise with Biden's inflation I would only be down by 6%! Always good to end on a humorous note.
Another Siemens Pede in a different division informed me that he received a late Friday e-mail saying that given the recent Biden/OSHA court loses, his division was suspending the vaxx mandate for the time being. He (I presume) thinks that it came out so late to avoid interfering with any weekend jab plans some employees may have had. Gonna be some pissed off workers. Don't know if this announcement had anything to do with my review. Managers would get notice before us honest folks. Whatever, I'll take it as a sign that I am fighting the good fight. Signing off until next time...
You know how it goes? Always chose 180 degrees in opposition to the MSM.
There is a good size contingent that doesn't buy Putin is our guy, but there is indeed a many do because they want it so. I don't know. Damnit Jim, I'm an engineer, not a historian or political scientist (like yourself). But even my simple analysis leads to doubts: Putin was KGB; Putin has been President for 21 years (how does that happen?); Putin was all in on the COVID tyranny; etc.
I'm sure you could enlighten me more.
Have you really been banned from GAW?
I was banned for 5 days for “dooming.”
So, you kinda got the nail on the head: Payton was, is, and forever will be KGB. He idolizes the USSR and wants to take Russia back to that place.
He was born just before the death of Stalin. (Sorry, I’m about to go on a history “lecture” lol). At this Crystal time in history, the fear of the purges, gulags, Black Marias (death wagons basically), etc were still very fresh in the minds of the people. Although subsequent General Secretaries were not as murdery as Stalin, it was still the Soviet Union and there was still no free press, no free thought, no free anything. These are the principals he grew up believing. His grandfather was, as Soviet records confirm, a cook for Stalin. His family was deeply entrenched.
As you know (pretty sure you grew up in some part of the Cold War, like me, lol) the USSR was a force to be reckoned with in the intelligence arena. Deep dives into Russian archives, plus visits to KGB prisons, show the brutality of the government and the lengths they would go to torture and murder the people accused of opposition to the Soviet regime. Putin grew up in this era; how could he not be indoctrinated?
He became president in 1999 and the “constitution” of Russia set the presidency for two, 4-year consecutive terms. Key word here: consecutive. To make him seem like a reasonable leader, he stepped aside in 08’ for Medvedev…but he became prime minister; he essentially still “ruled” Russia, just not as president. In 12’ he took the presidency back with a 6 year term and again in 18’ with another 6 year term. Term limits were increased in 08’ (wonder why). In 2020 Putin put forth amendments for a “vote” to essentially allow him to run for two ADDITIONAL terms. He’s essentially attempting to get the Russian people to legitimize his reign.
Unfortunately Putin turned out to be a dictator not many in Russia saw coming. He was great for Russia initially. The economy grew; Russian citizens enjoyed this boost (again, legitimizing him). As he gained their trust, he slowly starting reigning in freedoms. State run news, imprisoning his opposition, imprisoning protesters, etc. instead of an outright coup, he just took his time. He is smart. He is charismatic. He is strategic. He’s also looking to take Russia back to the “glory” days of the USSR.
People arguing that Russians support Putin, Russians are posting that the news is wrong, etc don’t understand the disinformation and state run propaganda the Russian people have lived with for decades. If you grew up watching friends and family disappear for simply stating an opposing viewpoint, would you speak out?
Anyway, sorry for the long rant. Lol.
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the get-up-to-speed-quick dump. I had no idea. Born and bred on the Cold War -- I was almost 4 for the Missiles of October. Talk about a time of complete black and white. Like you, I joined the military to save the homeland. But eventually, that geo-political picture was shown to be the caricature that it always was. Some of us remembered how we were fooled, and held on to that through later times.
People now have no idea how deliberately simplified their world view is. They also have no excuse. That includes many on GAW, I'm afraid. And we have to admit to the dangerous appeal of simplicity -- Occum's razor often applies in science, but almost never in human activities.
No problem. I’m a bit long winded sometimes. Ha. I read a great book a while ago about Stalin and propónganla/disinformation. I’m out of state right now so I can’t remember the name but essentially it explored this: how did Russians of today (2000s) view Stalin after the opening of the Russian archives documenting the millions of atrocities committed by his regime. Interestingly, it was largely the younger generation willingly to believe he did any of it. Even when faced with actual documented proof, older people who remembered the brutality of that time were still so indoctrinated they simply refused to believe their own eyes.
Even now, Ukrainians with family in Russia are speaking to their families, showing them proof (live video proof) of what is happening in Ukraine and their families are saying: the Russians won’t hurt you. They’re there to help. Etc. the cognitive dissonance is insane. Anyway, rant over. Lol. Glad all is well on your end!