Philip Julius Blog

The Precarious Definitions and Redefinitions of Vaccine Vernacular

Philip Julius December 9, 2021

Language is one of the key battlegrounds on which the culture war is fought. Throughout the so-called pandemic, we have seen a strategic redefinition of the word vaccine. What previously, for almost 100 years, was defined as a preparation of weakened organisms injected to increase immunity to a particular disease is now any preparation injected to stimulate the body’s immune response against a specific disease. Under the new definition, the scope of what could be classified as a vaccine is vast. Likewise, the CDC’s definition of word vaccination has also been gradually evolving over time:

I believe that we have lost significant cultural ground by letting the mass media and medical establishment get away with this slight of hand. We are now at a point where even those opposed to the alleged vaccines are following suit with the new definitions by consistently using the terms ‘vaccinated’ and ‘unvaccinated’. The only dissident alternatives which have emerged are the terms ‘pureblood’ and ‘mudblood’; but these carry an informality and pompousness to them which make them quite unpalatable for general use. Perhaps the simple ‘injected’ and ‘uninjected’ are more appropriate: the new supposed definition of vaccine is so broad anyways that you may as well just call it an injection. Maybe it’s time to stop using the word vaccine unless you consistently preface it by saying either ‘traditional’ or ‘mRNA’. And perhaps we should call them injection passports rather than vaccine passports.

Another word which has a noteworthy definition under Merriam-Webster is anti-vaxxer, which they define as “a person who opposes the use of vaccines or regulations that mandate vaccination”. The premise of this definition is that someone who opposes a specific vaccine or type of vaccine, opposes all vaccines. This is a disconcerting premise considering the aforementioned breadth of what classifies as a vaccine these days. Also, since when did an anti-vaxxer include those who are not necessarily opposed to vaccines but are opposed to vaccine laws? Perhaps in the next two years they will expand the term anti-vaxxer to include anyone opposed to forcible quarantining in government camps.

Language is a key battleground. We have to fight them tooth-and-nail for ever single term, definition and redefinition they attempt to enact. We must find and use our own alternatives whenever feasible and we can not keep letting them get away with these language tricks.

My Optimism: Cope or Legit?

Philip Julius December 6, 2021

With the looming medical fascism, increasingly divided society and questionable election of Joe Biden, many in dissident circles have become increasingly pessimistic about the state of the West. Nonetheless, I remain optimistic about the developments over the last 2 years and how they might work out for the best long-term. To be clear, there are many some nations such as Australia and Canada which are in dire straits and many individuals in unfortunate circumstances due to the pseudo-vaccine mandates. However, I’m seeing positive developments in the big picture. I have been accused of my optimism being a cope, but I do not believe this to be the case.

During the Trump era, I found nationalists had unrealistic expectations about Donald Trump and how he would save America, or at least slow its collapse. This delusion and messianic view of Trump was a great weakness. There was an onus put on Trump saving the West when that weight should have always been on our shoulders to begin with.

With the election of Biden and the advent of Covid, the right-wing conversation has shifted from Q and “Trump, Trump Trump” to the stark realization that we urgently need to form a parallel society and economy. Only in these difficult circumstances was it possible for this zeitgeist of parallelism to emerge on the sizable, mainstream scale which we are seeing. This is an absolutely critical inflection point which had to happen sooner or later. Those of us who are pro-Western civilization needed this fire under our arse; we were getting far too comfortable and complacent.

Is this a cope? Sure, you could call it that. Is it a cope when you get laid-off from a job and you realize in hindsight that it was for the best in the end? Is it a cope when you go through a breakup and are forced to work on yourself, becoming a better person in the end? Just because these scenarios could be classified as copes does not mean they aren’t genuinely favourable. Under the current political context we have been forced into being stronger people. The cards are now on the table and our winning strategy is becoming clear.

So onward, slowly and surely we go, towards making a parallel society as independent from the system as possible. Only once dissidents have their self-reliance, networking and economic prowess in order will we be able to wield actual power anyways. Just imagine millions of Andrew Torba-types collaborating in all sorts of industries; red-pilled, successful, business-oriented people who trade in cows, gold, silver, crypto and 3-d printed supplies. That’s where I see us heading as a unified force. This vision was not nearly as apparent 2 years ago.

The Grim Dawn Decade of the 2020s

Philip Julius November 30, 2021

We are entering an era characterized by intermittent supply chain shortages, medical fascism and parallel societies. The optimism of the early 2000’s is slowly but assuredly fading away into a faint memory.

For reasons ranging from peak oil, financial collapse, excessive immigration to climate change, both right-wing and left-wing doomsayers alike have been predicting the collapse of the West for some time. Despite the fact that the supposed collapse never seems to come, it appears we are slowly starting to see the cracks in the armour of our civilization. In the early 2000’s it felt like Western society was drunk off the optimism sold to us by futurists, neoliberals and progress-worshippers who assured us that science and non-religious morality would lead us to the promised land. Most bought into this rose-tinted lie about where our world was heading. Now, its becoming more and more clear that the science-worshipping progressive utopia is not to be.

While its true that the dramatic doomsday predictions of many preppers haven’t come true – at least not yet – instead of a dramatic event, we are witnessing a slow-burn decay of things we once took for granted. Prior to 2020, most couldn’t even imagine the notion of empty grocery store aisles or fuel shortages at the petrol station. Prior to 2020, talk of fertilizer or other supply chain shortages would have once seemed excessively dramatic but now these things are now actually happening. Prior to 2020, the notion that we would be segregating citizens by their state-approved injection status would have been interpreted as lunatic talk; within 18 short months, it is also a reality. All of these changes taking place within already atomized Western nations, alongside the increasingly harder to ignore inflationary trend have given many people a stark wake-up call to the world we actually live in.

Welcome to the grim dawn of decade of the 2020’s.

What I Learned Ditching my Smartphone for 3 Months

Philip Julius November 27, 2021

Recently, my smartphone screen cracked. Instead of going with trends and getting a new smartphone, I decided to downgrade to a feature phone. The phone I got (AGM M7) is not a full dumbphone as it runs a basic version of android which can run google maps, telegram, whatsapp, 4g or be used as a mobile hotspot. Nonetheless, it has traditional dial-pad buttons alongside a tiny screen, making it incredibly unsuitable for most smartphone tasks.

I chose to downgrade because I found myself wasting too much time. I was too addicted to the smooth screen and the endless internet scrolling, at your fingertips, at all times. I found myself wanting less, not more. I wanted to fight against the trend towards digital passports and digital ID’s. I wanted to take a small step back. To be clear, there is no inherent moral high-ground with having a crappy phone. With enough self-control, a smartphone has the potential to be an incredibly beneficial tool. I simply made the decision because I felt that – for my particular context – the benefits would outweigh the downsides.

After using the feature phone for 3 months, I eventually caved in and decided to carry a smartphone again. Regardless, here are 5 things I learned from my 3 months smartphone-free.

1.) Features can be Liabilities

We live in a culture that seems to assume that more is always better, although this not always the case: Extra features come with extra liabilities. Having a fast car is only great until you crash it at a high speed. Having an expensive phone is awesome until you lose or break it. Having the internet at your fingertips at all times is amazing, but only if you have the self-discipline to not let it control you.

Nowadays, there are phones which rotate the screen automatically based on the user’s eye orientation; you can now lie down your head horizontally and your phones screen will seamlessly rotate with you as you consume content. Does this feature actually a net benefit effect on your life? Maybe lie down time should be phone-free time. Maybe its better to have things be slightly harder for the user, such that features aren’t abused.

It is a well-known trope amongst creatives that limitations inspire creativity. Perhaps having a slower typing speed on my phone inadvertently distills the information I consume rather than oversaturating my brain with data overload. We shouldn’t assume that a more expensive phone with more features is a strictly better device in all contexts: every feature has the potential to become a liability.

2.) Each Time You Check Your Phone is Potentially Missed Opportunity

You have a moment of downtime throughout the day: what do you do? Most instinctively check their phone. In that moment, there are countless potential opportunities being missed. Perhaps you’re single and a beautiful woman just walked by. Perhaps you could deepen your interaction with the person already in front of you. Perhaps there are previously unnoticed tasks which need doing.

In the first few weeks without a smartphone I found myself in such moments of downtime – particularly at work – where I would have previously been tempted to check my pocket-screen. Instead, I found myself asking a question, cracking a joke or doing some chin-ups (I work on a construction site). These interactions have benefited me in minor but noticeable ways: my building knowledge is slightly better, my wit is slightly sharper and my biceps slightly bigger.

3.) Stimulation-Free Moments Throughout the Day are Incredibly Refreshing

I work a full-time job with extra projects in the evenings, so my days are relatively densely packed. With a slick phone, it is easy to turn a precious 45 minute break into more endless scrolling. But is this really the best way to take a break in the middle of the day?

I found my mind more rejuvenated post-break when I simply sit in my car in peace with minimal stimulation. Taking such breaks makes me less tired in the evening such that I can do further work once I get home. If I do want to get some work done on my break, I’ll simply sit quietly for a bit and then bring out the laptop; its a more efficient device than a smartphone to be productive on anyways. Regardless, I think that taking deep calming breaths and cherishing these little moments of peace we get throughout the day can go a long way in the marathon run of life.

4.) Constantly Using GPS Ruins Your Sense of Direction

This one is self-explanatory. Yes, google maps is useful. Yes, its screwing up your sense of direction. Going without once in a while can give you a new perspective on the region you’re in: you’ll be more aware of your surroundings. Who knows, with a wrong turn, maybe you’ll find somewhere you really like.

5.) Using a Dumbphone for a Few Months Can Cure a Smartphone Addiction

In the end, I caved and got a smartphone. So, was it all to waste? No. Upon returning to a smartphone, I found myself far more in control of my phone use. I found myself incredibly excited to use the features that benefited my life, with no such desire to return to the time-wasting applications. Living permanently without a smartphone is not something I’d necessarily recommend. However, I would recommend using a feature phone for 3-months for anyone who feels like their smartphone has taken over their life.