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Imraan Vagar

i.vagar

Producer, director, TV presenter, foodie, photographer, blogger, nature lover, keen observer of the human condition & 'tickle monster' to my girls.
Didn’t I tell ya? If only there was another infa Didn’t I tell ya? If only there was another infamous term for “clean out”? Hmmm 🤔
The term ‘gaslighting’ has become somewhat ove The term ‘gaslighting’ has become somewhat overused in recent times but I still think it’s a very apt phrase in attempting to describe how the powers that be try to convince everyday folks not to engage their critical faculties or trust their lying eyes. But they and their corporate media stooges are just an effing joke and a laughing stock at this point. All but the most intransigent boomers and idiot gen-xers can see through their lies and bullshit. Their reign is over. The fix is in. Everybody knows. But if you still experience moments when you feel like you’re going stark raving mad, there is comfort to be had in consuming critical yet comedic content that reminds you that you’re not the crazy one, they are. Besides, I do love me some darkly sardonic, subversive humour. So herewith my list of peeps who are as informative and insightful as they are irreverently laugh out loud funny. Enjoy!
Sadly so many people I know have existed on a diet Sadly so many people I know have existed on a diet of corporate entertainment news media throughout their lives that their critical faculties have become so utterly dulled and atrophied to the point that they simply parrot whatever the TV tells them to. And trying to snap them out of that brainwashed, lobotomized mindset is an impossible task at times. People believe what they want to believe, especially when confronted with an inconvenient truth that challenges their worldview to the point that it becomes an existential threat. Their brains simply shut down, as do channels of communication and healthy debate between you and them. Someone I once respected recently ghosted me because they had no legitimate counter-argument to mine, only childish name calling and personal insults. Just pathetic. Still, it’s sometimes not too late for a targeted intervention. And here are but some of the potential arrows in that quiver…
The internet and social media, in particular, have The internet and social media, in particular, have really democratised the news and information ecosystem. And this has seen the emergence and continued rise of independent and citizen journalism. What’s thrilling to note is how these voices have resonated with everyday people who have flocked to their channels and platforms in the kind of numbers that put traditional news organizations’ ratings to shame. They excite me because these plucky individuals are in the vanguard of a wave of independent journalists and commentators who have emerged out of the failure of the mainstream news media complex to speak actual truth to power. And I’m so here for it. And providing the censorship industrial complex doesn’t succeed in their ruthlessly obvious campaign to crush free-speech and discourse (they’re arresting journalists on ter ror ism charges now), these indie outlets will continue to thrive and grow. Amen to that.
They say you are what you eat. But I maintain that They say you are what you eat. But I maintain that we’re also what media we consume. If you ingest instant-gratification junk-food fodder that speaks to your more venal instincts you may get a satisfying but ultimately short-lived sugar-high, but if you choose to consume more nutritious and substantive fare that challenges you, you just might come away more sated and better nourished in the long term. ‘Food for thought’ as it were. What’s more, if you spend your free time in the company of scholars, critical thinkers and insightful, thoughtful voices in any given space, you’ll find that their intellect, wisdom and keen insights rub off. That’s why, as mentor to many a young person, I consistently offer them the following advice: don’t be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, go seek out a smarter room. And that needn’t be a literal room, of course. It can be a virtual or online space too. Here are but some of the ‘rooms’ I love hanging out in. Again, I don’t outsource my opinions to anybody, but the analyses and arguments presented by these pundits and intellectuals are consistently cogent and compelling - and the pleasure and enrichment is, therefore, mine to imbibe, savour and luxuriate in - like a good meal.
As far as I’m concerned, the Western mainstream As far as I’m concerned, the Western mainstream press finally lost whatever was left of their credibility and gravitas after they shamelessly went along with cheerleading for the illegal and fraudulent Iraq war in 2003. So whether they’re peddling unsubstantiated claims of 40 be head ed babies or mass grapes on Oct 7th - or failing, on purpose, to extensively report on the fact that America’s bedraggled lapdog, and human toilet brush, Boris Johnson, apparently advised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to entertain a peaceful compromise with Russia to end the war, at his master’s request - the mainstream media have been clowning themselves ever since. These aren’t muckraking journalists trying to keep the public informed and hold power to account, they’re propaganda pushers and slick, telegenic mouthpieces for Empire and the establishment. That’s why I follow and support the work of the independent investigative journalists listed above. Once upon a time, many of these same intrepid reporters were regular fixtures on the cable news circuit, but today they’re conspicuously absent from the mainstream discourse. Which should tell you everything you need to know about how captured corporate media is. You will never get the full picture via sellout careerist journalists. So please consider adding these fearless voices for truth and transparency to your reading/viewing/listening list. You may not like everything they have to say - and that’s fine, but they do represent a plurality of interesting views and insights that you will not find in the lamestream press.
As a matter of principle I choose to actively seek As a matter of principle I choose to actively seek out information and the unvarnished truth - no matter how brutal or depressing. So my diet of media consumption is rich in news, geopolitics, technology and innovation, philosophy, psychology and social and pop-cultural commentary. But because my days are consumed with the management of our restaurant and other properties, I certainly don’t have the luxury of time (just like most of you) to spend hours of my day scouring through countless news articles, papers and studies to keep my finger on the pulse of things. So instead, I connect my phone to my bluetooth speaker and listen to trusted podcasts and YouTube and Rumble news outlets and commentators that I usually play in the background as I go about doing house chores and getting ready for my day. It’s been a cogitative ritual of mine for many years now and I find it so edifying and empowering. After all, in this age of unprecedented information, knowledge is power. So, as a public service (and by way of popular demand) I’ll be sharing lists of my go-to publishers and channels for extensive and exhaustive deep-dives into the front page issues of the day (with no propaganda and very little spin) for your passive viewing/listening pleasure. Of course, we all have our biases, so you might not agree with or even like what these voices have to say, but I’ve studied their work long enough to discern that they are consistent, good faith actors and honest brokers. But I leave it to you to decide if their words ring true. So work with it, don’t work with it. But I invite you to challenge yourself all the same. For only when we keep an open mind and challenge ourselves can we hope to shatter faulty entrenched views and pernicious propaganda.
Do you remember when CNN and all the professed “ Do you remember when CNN and all the professed “liberals” who labour under the misapprehension that the network does actual journalism seriously lost their shit after a White House aide tried to commandeer the microphone from Jim Acosta during his adversarial Q&A with Trump? “The free press is under attack” they all howled in outrage! Well where is their furious indignation over the fact that Journalist Sam Husseini was forcibly removed from the State Department briefing room by police while questioning US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his complicity in a gen o cide? And if you watch the video of the grotesque debacle, note how all the other careerist reporters in the room shamelessly sat still as one of their colleagues, an old man no less, was roughly manhandled out of the room simply for asking questions…you know, his actual job. What an utter disgrace. And to add insult to injury, the same CNN who wrung their hands over the Acosta incident accused Sam Husseini and another serious journalist, Max Blumenthal, of being “activists” who engaged in “cringeworthy heckling”. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don’t get my news from the corporate media hacks and hoes. And frankly, neither should anyone who claims to seek the truth and support the free press. Speaking of, I invite you to watch award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald’s interview with Sam on his System Update YouTube channel. Now there’s a true journalist! Pic: Sam Husseini
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Blog

  • YouTube Video Essays October 14, 2023
  • Gay While Indian : A Minority Report June 14, 2021
  • Coming Out #2 : The Calling August 28, 2020
  • Coming Out #1 : WTF Took You So Long? July 22, 2020
  • American Horror Story January 2, 2019
  • Band-Aid Apologies, You Can Stick ‘Em! March 12, 2016
  • What Ever Did You Mean, 2015? February 17, 2016
  • The One Time Yuk! September 8, 2015
  • Weapons Of Mass Distraction August 11, 2015
  • Wham! Bam! Instagram! July 16, 2015
  • Wedding Schmedding! May 12, 2015
  • Imraan Vagar Personal Life April 22, 2015
  • Wham! Spam! Thank You Ma’am! April 17, 2015
  • April’s Fool April 13, 2015
  • Snapshots November 20, 2014

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