{"id":273445,"date":"2023-09-19T06:20:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T06:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=273445"},"modified":"2023-09-21T06:13:45","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T06:13:45","slug":"this-week-in-the-new-normal-72","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=273445","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the New Normal #72"},"content":{"rendered":"

Off-Guardian \u2013 Sept 17, 2023<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Our successor to This Week in the Guardian<\/em>, This Week in the New Normal<\/a><\/em> is our weekly chart of the progress of autocracy, authoritarianism and economic restructuring around the world.<\/p>\n

1. Climate Court-case changes tack<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Three years ago we covered the story of six Portuguese teenagers, \u201cclimate activists\u201d<\/a> who were attempting to sue the governments of 33 nations (The EU, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Russia, the UK and Ukraine) for failing to meet recommended emissions targets.<\/p>\n

The case was being heard by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and was quite obviously a public relations stunt that never really went anywhere.<\/p>\n

That was three years ago, and now it\u2019s back in the headlines<\/a>. What\u2019s interesting is how things have changed. Firstly the number of defendants is down to 32 from 33, with Ukraine being stealthily removed from the list of climate baddies for fairly obvious reasons.<\/p>\n

Secondly, there\u2019s the change in messaging.<\/p>\n

In 2020, when \u201ctrusting the science\u201d was key, then 12-year-old Andr\u00e9 Oliveira told reporters:<\/p>\n

what I\u2019d like the most would be for European governments to immediately do what the scientists say is necessary<\/strong> to protect our future<\/p>\n

Now, with climate change being rebranded a public health issue, he says this:<\/p>\n

In Portugal this summer we experienced heatwaves which are getting worse and worse. Our ability to do anything, to live our lives, is becoming restricted. The climate crisis is affecting our physical health and our mental health; how could you not be scared?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know who writes his material, but they have their finger on the pulse.<\/p>\n

2. Where is the shoplifting crisis going?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Back in April (This Week in the New Normal #63<\/a>) we covered the US\u2019s supposed \u201clooting crisis\u201d, which saw social media videos of big brand stores being looted going \u201cviral\u201d. The solution presented was for stores like Target and CVS to start locking all their goods behind code-activated doors.<\/p>\n

This is an ongoing campaign, across both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

This week has seen a lot of coverage of the supposed \u201cshoplifting crisis\u201d in the UK. Papers like the Telegraph say shoplifters should be shot, and papers like the Guardian say it\u2019s all the Tories\u2019 fault. But both sides agree it\u2019s a problem that requires and solution. The \u201cFederation of Independent Retailers\u201d is demanding aid from the government to \u201ctackle\u201d the situation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in the US, it\u2019s being reported that the \u201cshoplifting crisis\u201d is \u201cgetting dangerous for workers\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What could this mean in real terms?<\/p>\n

New laws on CCTV cameras? Digital ID needed to make any purchase? Some new horrific legislation?<\/p>\n

Watch this space.<\/p>\n

3. Alien bodies presented to Mexican congress<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yes, seriously.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m getting tired of writing about UFOs, to be honest. That\u2019s two weeks in a row they\u2019ve featured in TWitNN.<\/p>\n

Mirroring the US last month, Mexico\u2019s congress held their own \u201cUFO hearings\u201d<\/a> starting on September 13th.<\/p>\n

As part of the hearing, Congress were presented with two desiccated \u201calien corpses\u201d by UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan.<\/p>\n

If you want the details feel free to read about them in this piece from Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The newsworthy story here is not the bodies themselves \u2013 there\u2019s always someone out there with a model or dead racoon or something claiming it\u2019s a monster or an alien \u2013 it\u2019s that they were presented in front of Congress and potentially taken seriously.<\/p>\n

Anyway, here\u2019s one of the totally 100% real, completely not fake dead aliens\u2026<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BONUS: Cringe of the week<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Apple\u2019s latest \u201cApple Watch\u201d (I don\u2019t know why it\u2019s not iWatch, but that\u2019s a different issue) promotion is\u2026wonderful. It features Apple CEO Tim Cook selling the watch to \u201cMother Nature\u201d (who is, naturally, a large black woman) by claiming it is \u201c100% carbon neutral\u201d.<\/p>\n

Forget the messaging, forget any objections to built-in obsolescence, forget that \u201ccarbon neutral\u201d is a meaningless scam\u2026and just witness the pure cringe:<\/p>\n

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we're reaching levels of corporate cringe previously considered to be impossible pic.twitter.com\/FGl4Y30Opv<\/a><\/p>\n

— Laura Wendel (@Lauramaywendel) September 13, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n