Leftism and Coffee

[Zerdusht]

naturally ordered according to whom?

The argument is (I think) that monarchies arise naturally, so they don't need to accord to anyone's intellectual demands: intellectual demands likely to be made under the influence of coffee! It's an interesting theory, anyway. Maybe the De Maistre type monarchism as such is also a product of caffeination, but rule by king (cyning, Can-ing -- able one, though more recent linguists trace it to something about procreation) without conscious adherence to ideology develops naturally without the need of any particular alkaloids: the tools to him who can use them! More traditional stimulant use should maybe be considered, in all its variety. e.g. the mysterious sacred Vedic substance soma, which is thought by some to be ephedra. That case has been distorted by millennia and religious disputes, but we have a clearer picture with tea in China. Maybe the lower caffeine concentration and balancing elements like theanine make for a more stable high, which is why China was tranquil when its rituals were observed. In fact, some Chinese sages looked down on expressly political action. Confucius says things to the tune of "small men take risks" and "attacking false systems merely harms you," and Lao Tzu recommends wu wei: inaction.

 

[TheSir]

naturally ordered according to whom?

Thanks, yeah I think if you look through the citations i that study and the literature on caffeine, the effects are dose dependent and also depend on glucose availability and liver glycogen. I realize it's tempting to simplify into good/bad absolutes rather than accepting that it is context dependent. It's explained nicely in this article from functionalps;
--
"Stepping on the Gas Pedal
The metabolic stimulation from coffee ingestion increases the metabolism, which is very friendly, if the metabolic support is adequate. Metabolic stimulators must be matched with adequate metabolic support, especially adequate blood glucose. The common symptom of feeling anxious or shaky after coffee consumption is from a lack of support, which causes low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)."
...
"Your “coffee tolerance” can be used as a barometer to measure health progression or lack there of. If you improve your tolerance to coffee, you’re likely headed in the right direction nutritionally. If this doesn’t happen, it could be time to reassess your strategies.

When your coffee tolerance is poor, it might say that the liver is suffering and is not storing glycogen very well and can’t back you up efficiently (by releasing glycogen) when there is excessive stimulation from coffee. It could also be a signal that you’re not following one or more of the rules listed in the previous section of this blog.

Hypothyroidism increases susceptibility to low blood sugar because of the effects of thyroid hormone on the liver. Hypothyroid individuals can have coffee intolerance symptoms for this reason and sometimes need to show extra caution when drinking coffee. Broda Barnes’ book “Hypoglycemia: It’s Not Your Mind, It’s Your Liver” is an excellent resource to explore this topic further.

Going the extra mile is sometimes necessary for those that are really susceptible to over stimulation from coffee. One such step is adding a little coffee to milk/sugar instead of adding milk/sugar to coffee. As you improve, you will be able to handle more coffee and progressively be less dependent upon support — you will be able to press harder on the metabolic gas pedal. Another option is sipping a little coffee with support throughout the day so you get a little stimulation without it being excessive.

Improved tolerance to coffee may also be accompanied by improvement in other things like sleep quality, energy levels, digestion, cravings, time to fatigue, calmness, and duration that you can comfortably go between meals. As the metabolic rate rises from consistent coffee consumption, the need for all nutrient increases so a sensible diet should consist of foodstuff that offer dense nutrition with few digestive inhibitors (such as ripe fruits, milk, eggs, shellfish, beef liver) rather than nutrient deficient foods (such as pasta, bread, cereals, packaged foods) or hard to digest foods (like raw vegetables, beans, nuts, and legumes)."
-Coffee Done Right – Tips to Help Avoid Coffee Intolerance – Functional Performance Systems (FPS)

It seems that we are just approaching the same conclusion from different directions: the consequences of caffeine are context-dependent. In the end it matters little whether or not one can get away with -- or even benefit from -- coffee under ideal conditions, when a remarkable portion of the population does not and never will live under such conditions. Thus the extremely prevalent use of caffeine comes with significant consequences to the mental and physical health of the population, which in turn is reflected in the cohesion of the society, the health of the culture and the overall state of morality.

I have to admit that I will probably never understand the peatarian obsession with making coffee work for them -- it reeks of justifying an addiction (who wouldn't love to think that their object of addiction supports their health?). But most importantly, generally only things that have been a fundamental part of our evolutionary journey are peaty. Since caffeine has not been an evolutionary staple, there is minimal reason to assume that chronic use of it would serve anyone's wellbeing in the most holistic sense of the word. At best, one can get away with using it, perhaps even derive subjective/situational benefits from it.

 

[michael94]

The argument is (I think) that monarchies arise naturally, so they don't need to accord to anyone's intellectual demands: intellectual demands likely to be made under the influence of coffee! It's an interesting theory, anyway. Maybe the De Maistre type monarchism as such is also a product of caffeination, but rule by king (cyning, Can-ing -- able one, though more recent linguists trace it to something about procreation) without conscious adherence to ideology develops naturally without the need of any particular alkaloids: the tools to him who can use them! More traditional stimulant use should maybe be considered, in all its variety. e.g. the mysterious sacred Vedic substance soma, which is thought by some to be ephedra. That case has been distorted by millennia and religious disputes, but we have a clearer picture with tea in China. Maybe the lower caffeine concentration and balancing elements like theanine make for a more stable high, which is why China was tranquil when its rituals were observed. In fact, some Chinese sages looked down on expressly political action. Confucius says things to the tune of "small men take risks" and "attacking false systems merely harms you," and Lao Tzu recommends wu wei: inaction.

Ephedra was also found buried among ancient Chinese mummies. As for Soma, I think people get too caught up in tying it to a substance that one drinks in the literal sense. A more esoteric interpretation might understand the descriptions of Soma, as the making of a drink, much like the Cup of the Holy Grail. To the extent that rituals would contain actual drinks, they would be a "symbol" drawing upon a more profound process of distilling one's own Blood and Spirit, which is then "drunk".

 

[Missenger]

It seems that we are just approaching the same conclusion from different directions: the consequences of caffeine are context-dependent. In the end it matters little whether or not one can get away with -- or even benefit from -- coffee under ideal conditions, when a remarkable portion of the population does not and never will live under such conditions. Thus the extremely prevalent use of caffeine comes with significant consequences to the mental and physical health of the population, which in turn is reflected in the cohesion of the society, the health of the culture and the overall state of morality.

I have to admit that I will probably never understand the peatarian obsession with making coffee work for them -- it reeks of justifying an addiction (who wouldn't love to think that their object of addiction supports their health?). But most importantly, generally only things that have been a fundamental part of our evolutionary journey are peaty. Since caffeine has not been an evolutionary staple, there is minimal reason to assume that chronic use of it would serve anyone's wellbeing in the most holistic sense of the word. At best, one can get away with using it, perhaps even derive subjective/situational benefits from it.

Coffee actually helps ease the stress response I get after eating red meat so Ray is right about it helping with easing iron load in the digestive tract. The better solution may just be to limit iron intake and use antibiotics instead of relying on it as a digestive bitter.

 

[Michael Mohn]

Coffee and chocolate was outlawed shortly after being introduced in western societies. Then the coffee house scene became a phenomenon in Vienna and Berlin. These bourgeois places attracted artists, writers and activists for revolutionary causes. I think this is the cultural link between leftism, lawlessness and coffee. But Nazis love a good cup of coffee too

 

[kaizen]

I think the association is less with coffee and more with cafes. Leftists place less emphasis on private property, and therefore don’t have proper places to congregate, so the coffee house serves as a forum for them, of sorts. Conservative people are typically more sensible, pay less for coffee, make it at home, and drink it at breakfast with their family. I think that correlation makes sense. Liberals mostly create culture and conservatives create capital.

 

[PurpleHeart]

If you read the book Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson you will see the exact mechanism of coffee making you very pragmatic.

Basically every stimulant like caffeine amphetamines cocaine etc. will activate the 3rd circuit and make you very logical and mathematical.

This is why scientists usually love coffee and stimulants.

This is why college students abuse adderall.

 

[Sefton10]

The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?

The long read: Caffeine makes us more energetic, efficient and faster. But we have become so dependent that we need it just to get to our baseline

www.theguardian.com

"The conversation in London’s coffee houses frequently turned to politics, in vigorous exercises of free speech that drew the ire of the government, especially after the monarchy was restored in 1660. Charles II, worried that plots were being hatched in coffeehouses, decided that the places were dangerous fomenters of rebellion that the crown needed to suppress."