The only dip in the steady rise of subscribers that I’ve been accumulating since I started the blog occurred when I wrote that article trashing the Old Testament. Strap in because I think I’m about to outdo myself with this one. I’m always struck by just how much the behavior and attitudes of the peasantry is mirrored by the political class. Or, perhaps, the order of causality is exactly backwards. Regardless, what you see on the macro level with the behavior and attitude of the politicians and their behavior and what you see on the level of the small folk is strikingly similar.
Jun 15, 2022·edited Jun 15, 2022Liked by Rurik Skywalker
Said another way, hard times make good people. Good people make prosperous times. Prosperous times make weak people. Weak people make hard times. This cycle is borne out by history and covered extensively in classical literature and sacred texts including the Old Testament (period of the Judges as well as the two Kingdoms). Seems to be reflected in nature as well. Thinking about forestry practices and how die off starts and the effects of fire (including volcanic activity in some parts of the earth) which starts the process of regeneration again from the ground up. A good point about the values of the common man being reflected in their politicians. Somebody is voting them back in, right? So, there are people who are prepared to at least tolerate their immoral, foolish and corrupt behaviours. I do feel, as an older person, that the younger generation is mostly bereft of morality with some exceptions. So, how did those exceptional ones come about? Are they the result of innate character, religious indoctrination or personal choices that led them to a different outcome?
Whatever the case, agree on the need to build parallel societies that reflect our best practices and values, expressed in the concept 'of finding the others'. There is a shift happening around the world right now resulting in the establishment of connections and interactions between peoples of different societal strata, geographic locations and ethnicities who are rejecting what they've been witnessing within their countries and communities and are seeking out people and places that more accurately reflect their beliefs about how the world should be. Perhaps it was ever thus.
Holy crap you're on a Rolo! And Stalin's great grand-it? Who knew! No doubt it/they/them are wielding one of our tax payer funded assault rifles freshly acquired at the Azov Bazaar of Western Military Weapons and Munitions where as always: if you buy five, you get a javelin for free! Ahh the free market. Milton Friedman must be grinning in his grave.
Anyhoo, a few thoughts on your vision of a nationalist utopia which—if I read your essay correctly—centers around the principles of solidarity and strength both of which are being hunted to extinction in the West unless, of course, you're a Ukranian ultra-nationalist or a ravenous Zionist then it's not only ok, but it is also gleefully celebrated and almost 100% bipartisan supported as long as the Boogeyman is from the East. It doesn't matter if it's the Russians or the Chinese or the Arabs. They're all dirty Orcs in the eye's of the Western virtuous warriors. It wouldn't make any difference even if there was an existential threat to humanity that brought the world together in solidarity and strength to defeat it because the moment that we did, things would fall back into place right where we left off. But a nationalist island refuge does have its appeal. I wonder if Madagascar is available. 🤔
>>> Now, I don’t really view the average peasant and prole in America or Ukraine or Russia as entirely human. They’re just higher animals in my conception of them. I also don’t think that they have souls. But, I don’t categorize them as such out of spite, rather out of pity. If I thought of them as humans, I’d have to hold them to higher standards and judge them for their mistakes and their poor behavior, because being human means having the capacity to choose between right and wrong, solidarity and sliminess, loving one’s neighbors and ratting them out. By assuming that the average person is a potty-trained golem, I find it easier to absolve them of their bad behavior
This is pretty much a paraphrase of stuff that's been broadly understood for 2500 years. Bias of Priene put it best: HOI PLEISTOI ANTHROPOI KAKOI... Most people are shit
(NB: I translate "kakoi" as "shit" for a variety of reasons. It's a 'best fit' translation for a very flexible word that can mean a range of things from 'wicked/evil' to 'ugly/lame', but is cognate with kakkao ("shit") and kakkao is much older - it predates Greek in toto).
Speaking of: the Substack comment system is absolute, complete kakkao. They must have used $7/hr freelance pajeets.
There’s been a narrative spinning in my head about this very topic for the past couple years. I’ve believed that in general most people are mostly good and want to integrate into, and contribute to, a society. However, the past few years have ripped away the veneer of polite society and made me fully understand how stupid and self centered we are by nature. I don’t think we innately have goals of a common good. I think we generally like to work only as much as needed to survive. We need blunt force in the form of authority to keep us in line. And, properly done this is a civilizing force that does indeed lead to progress in all areas of humanity and better lives overall.
“A best practice that actually works.” Yes. There’s a saying something along the lines of “traditions are there for when we forget the reasons for doing what works.” Everything we believe and do as humans is built upon millions of deaths trying other ways. Religion, rule of law, marriage, families, diet, education, everything rides on a razor thin margin of success. And even at that, things often go wrong with our systems, because, well, humans. Internally each of us are psychotic messes. Combined into groups . . . well, things can go horribly wrong. Without, as you say, proper conditioning and leadership.
Our egos lead us to think we know better that every other generation before us, we’re smarter and won’t make the same mistakes. Of course these are instincts needed for survival and taking on challenges. Which works when kept (mostly) within well developed guardrails structured, again, by millennia of costly lessons learned. Sure, there will be people and groups outside those rails. They’ll either be massacring children or developing breakthrough inventions. Both extremes are necessary.
As a result of our dumb quest for equality we’ve lost our hero’s. Actually, we’ve destroyed our hero’s. I think, crucially, we’ve lost even the idea of a hero. Because we’re all special and deserving of everything, how is it possible to think of anyone better than ourselves ? The only option remaining is to despise everyone else. The obvious corollary being we’ve also lost an appreciation for true villains. Yeah, lots of vilifying happening, but not so much villainy with real physical results. Yet.
Parallel island societies, new social circles and a great turning away. I have hope that we can do these things and better our world. I have hope that the revolution of the internet is churning away, with a lot of harmful slag, but still a core that continues to fold and be hammered into a stronger conduit for a new society. I do often feel like we’ve lost, that we’re up against multinational corporations with unlimited funding. But then, I come upon writing like yours and communities within the Stacks and realize we’re multinational as well. We’re far more flexible and nimble, smarter and not constrained. I have renewed hope. Thank you for your writing, it is very inspiring and thought provoking.
Jun 15, 2022·edited Jun 15, 2022Liked by Rurik Skywalker
"People get the government that the deserve."
- Grover Cleveland US President 22nd (1885-1889) and 24th (1893-1897)
Rolo you're not alone in your thinking and I too concur. We've created a slug society. A come as you are (it's all good, no it isn't), low rent, low life crowd of dolts. Many I'm convinced are low IQ including so called "experts" doctors, lawyers, educators politicians and garden variety white collar bottom feeding shark types. This personality type fits and can be found in every strata of society. I call them the "un-people"; unintelligent, uneducated, uncivilized, unsophisticated, uncouth, uninspiring, unattractive, unrefined and simply stated unimportant. Have you looked around lately? As I pavement pound the streets of NYC lately AKA New York Shitty, with my usual determined military stride I notice with exceptions as rare as my steaks, a populace of mindless daydreaming clowns over 50%+ are overweight to morbidly obese, tattoo covered, pieced, dyed hair almost any color of the spectrum, and clothed in ill fitting outfits including ripped clothes bought that way! Who in their right mind buys jeans, shirts or blouses that are ripped? WTF! Even the white collar crowd has no sense of style. Their suits are cheap poorly tailored, and mismatched. Clowns that buy a good suit and wear cheap shirts, ties and shoes, looking like major league assholes. And all of them are plugged into their phones. I've a very simple rule when it comes to style and your personal statement about yourself. "Nothing but the best...that you can afford." Always get the best in clothes, accessories, watches, cars, appliances, food, libations and women (one way or another you're paying) that you can afford. NO DEBT! You can't pay it off by the end of the month? Unless you're in a deep shit situation and need something, you let it go. You build that discipline and control not always easy but can be done.
Same with food all these, I was going to be polite but screw it, fat yeah FAT bastards you see throughout the day. Unless they have thyroid issues they are just undisciplined slobs. Half can't even wait to get home. They roam the streets eating! Like they might starve. On the subway you see this all the time. Eating, drinking their over priced caffeine loaded "designer coffees" then they wonder why their stressed and are short of money. After stuffing their faces they leave the garbage under the subway car bench or throw it on the tracks. 21st Century spur of the moment art. Give me art deco and futurist art any day! I eat one yes ONE meal a day usually between 6-8 PM, I use zero caffeine and drink water throughout the day. I read the labels of all foods I purchase ( I was a chef for over 30 years I know what to look for) I will eat nothing ZERO with high fructose corn syrup in it and never use seed oils for cooking. Only olive, coconut or avocado oils and butter. NO margarine it's poison. I stretch upper and lower body every day and work out adding yoga. I do this every day 24/7/365 we never close. Am I unique? Maybe, to say I had a tumultuous life would be an extreme understatement. But in my adversity in my pain, I found strength to not only overcome but to transcend. From my perspective if I could do it you can too, shut up, man up, if you can't you've got a serious problem. Everyone's got a hard luck story. I've got mine others have theirs, nobody want to hear mine and I don't want to hear theirs.
Moving right alone as I've said before, "God" is not "religion" besides who's populating the clergy the same types that you see in the overall society. And they'll always blow that horn about being humble and forgiving. Do they forgive? Yeah if you cow tow to their tunes. Most "religions" use their power over their "brand captured" (love this phrase) flock the way a bank or loan shark uses a debt. They never want the debt to be repaid and will not accept renegotiating. They're more than content to live happily off the interest, day after day, week after week, month after month, decade after decade century after century.
Don't get me started on corruption! Everyone hates corruption. Right? Yeah right! Here's the deal everyone hates corruption until their friend in city hall gets them a dashboard placard that allows them to park anywhere in the city at any time of day (except driveways or pumps) and never have an issue. No traffic cop or NYC towing will mess with you. But If I can get that deal and you can't you'll say "Dionysios is corrupt" is that what's bothering you, is that the issue, or is it jealousy and envy that YOU don't have the connection to get the same deal. Same with fenced goods AKA stolen merchandise. You visit a friends house and marvel at his gigantic flat screen TV. When you ask him did it cost a fortune he proudly replies, "Goes for 2,500 but I paid $500 cash." When you ask how he swung that he smiles and winks, "It fell off the truck." Are you indignant that your friend buys stolen merchandise making him complicit in the "crime"? Hell no you reply, "Can you hook me up? I'll take one too." Get the picture?
Now let's really let lose! #MeToo what a fraud it turned out to be. Let me cut to the chase. I 've always despised Harvey Weinstein but let me be blunt and clear did this fat rootless cosmopolitan force some women to submit to him I'm sure he did (and that is completely unacceptable for me). But if you think none would have happily satisfied him in return for a break out role and a six or seven figure paycheck then you need to change your meds. Look it's this way an actress has a boyfriend a WOKE SJW flake he takes her for a veggie burger and a movie and she "takes care of him". OK they had fun but it's not a game changer. So this same red carpet dreamer thinks, "If I screw this ugly fat pig with the permanent scruffy shadow on his ugly face, I can not only jump start my career but hit pay dirt. Dump the WOKE flake and find a real man (I'll leave my card in her mailbox.) it's worth it and she does it. Now years later the same "woman on the make" see another opportunity to jump start a slumped career and now lo and behold she's got buyers remorse. Yeah right peddle it somewhere else. But her behavior is encouraged. Why because of collective outrage, nah in the hopes of collecting some type of largess form the rich slob. Let me add I've also worked as an actor over 20 years , on stage, TV and in film. I've never seen any improper behavior, or intimidation of any type. Everyone casts and crews were professional courteous did their job (it is show "business" emphasis on "business") wrapped and went their separate ways.
I've been a bit long winded today. Let me add one final observation. When I was in my late teens I was briefly a street kid what you call in Russia гопник (gopnik) I ran with some rough crowds. But I found more honor among my "peers" than I would years later from so called "legitimate businessmen" most of whom were some of the most low end, lying, conniving, sleaziest, scumbags anyone can imagine. In the street a hand shake was a contract. On Wall Street with a "written contract you have a prayer" but with a "handshake nothing but air". Good luck paying your "legal fees" to get your due. In the street you got your cut in cash no records on your stash.
Can you fix this broken society? Yes a counter-revolution is needed and an authoritarian nationalist party must have power. All the great states understood this, Sparta, Rome, Byzantium, Mongols, Seljuks and Ottomans, Aztecs, Incas, Mayans, Imperial Russia, Imperial Japan, and the authoritarian states of the 20th Century. One of the keys to restoring the nationalist state is among other things how the children are treated and protected by that state. For me this is most important, of singular importance for the future of the culture and folk. Why? Stay tuned until my next instalment. Or go to my page. I might right about this in the near future.
Stalin's granddaughter as Tank Girl, Putin in a blazer and Adidas sweatpants. I've seen it all. You're right! Parallel structures within parallel societies, minimized liabilities and all but drawing fish in the dust and hiding in caves again, ha. When they cut the lights, your neighbor will drop the #metoo in favor of E Pluribus Unum or assume room temp. The better qualities of a person need not be drilled by another if the options are work together or face existential crisis. Learning on the job of being a real human. Things can look really good because things are looking really bad. I second General Blessoteric, btw. We live in a society tinged with feminine lunacy. A neutered neo-feudalism with less teeth and good instinct. "Gentle madmen" reverted to angry, impotent boys. I wonder what really happens. Why the degradation instead of self-mastery. Drugs? Culture war? Our own mothers, sisters, and neighbors?
Jun 19, 2022·edited Jun 19, 2022Liked by Rurik Skywalker
Yes, this.
The deeper motive behind why so many people in the West have consciously or unconsciously embraced the Great Progressive Agenda in the last 30 years is human pettiness. All they needed is some kind of pretest to torment whoever they feel has offended their sense of self-worthiness. Which, tellingly, sets the bar pretty low.
They have nothing better to do with their time essentially.
Now why this piece was not picked up by unz.com is beyond me.
Jun 17, 2022·edited Jun 17, 2022Liked by Rurik Skywalker
Another excellent post. I wish in a way I didn't agree with it. Looking at the demonstrable nature of people is not inspiring. I worked for years in the corporate world with periods in the arts.
As a result of that experience I relate to:
Twain: the more I know of people, the more I like my dog
Samuel Johnson: I never cease to be amazed by man's propensity to stoop to meet the situation.
Consequently I am a populist who does not like most people. A nationalist who dislikes my country, America. A believer in White nationalism who does not like most White people and thinks most White countries are a blight on the planet.
It is interesting to observe what societies are run by seemingly sane, intelligent leaders and which ones are run by malicious fools who, at best, have no concern for the welfare of the citizens or, at worst, despise them and seek to harm them. What is the chicken and what is the egg?
Do quality leaders initially come about by chance then create strong societies or do strong societies create strong, competent leaders?
Seems to be a bit of both. The whole culture and system of America is so depraved and corrupted that it would be nearly impossible for a quality leader to both emerge and get anything done.
It would probably take a Putin situation where they thought they were getting a patsy but got a strong leader.
China seems to be the only culture that understands at all levels the threats to a healthy culture and country and builds systems to support a healthy culture. It is not surprising that they are a patriarchy.
The core issue is the in-group out-group distinction. The common man can be taught and motivated to adopt good behaviour if that leads to tangible benefits to the group he belongs to. Most people spontaneously seek a higher purpose for their existence and working for the benefit of the group could easily fulfil that calling. But he is denied the membership of a group : the people/nation is being hollowed out by the influx of unassimilated foreigners ; the churches have dissolved their mass-movements ; the neighbourhood is diversified ; the family is often spread over several cities or countries. Unions, criminal gangs, elite clubs have remained as meaningful groups.
I really doubt that nationalists/right-wingers would be able to regroup and form parallel societies. The elite will suppress any movement of significance in that direction. A recent example from France. Two entrepreneurs started a housing scheme aimed at traditionalist Catholics : build houses near monasteries, sell them to vetted traditionalists, create tightly-knitted local community. After marketing the scheme for a few months, came media attacks, the banks cancelled the financing, the local authority declared that they needed to reexamine the permission. Game over.
How do you build a parallel society when you are a prime target for dispersion ?
"Where are we, as a society, that we allow ourselves to be so easily convinced to engage in selfish, destructive behavior against our fellow prisoners?"
"Easily convinced" = readily manipulated. The Canadian truckers exemplified Bob Dylan's lyric, "I went down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse." We're not ALLOWING ourselves, manipulators are GOADING us. All that's necessary in the West is to suggest that some one or group might be a "irresponsible extremist" in some sense (vax, climate, guns, Trump, Putin), and the rest feel justified, indeed obligated, to engage in the latent sadism that was identiied in the Milgram experiment.
That's where we are. Maybe one of the "Take that, Putin"-cold-showers will snap people out of this politics of hate. Or, maybe the witch-burnings will continue to flame.
You have rambled on with nonsense. But at least you tried to address my previous question about what is the purpose of any best practice and the nature of the "good". You are searching for meaning. You seem utterly lost, but I wish you well on this quest. Your low opinion of the masses betrays an equally low opinion of yourself. Perhaps you might try reading a bit of Victor Frankl as to possible meaning of life, but then again he was merely a Jewish survivor. Yet, I partially agree with your claim that we mostly get the government that we deserve. Why not participate directly in the struggle rather than merely writing and pontificating about it like so many Ivory tower pundits.
Said another way, hard times make good people. Good people make prosperous times. Prosperous times make weak people. Weak people make hard times. This cycle is borne out by history and covered extensively in classical literature and sacred texts including the Old Testament (period of the Judges as well as the two Kingdoms). Seems to be reflected in nature as well. Thinking about forestry practices and how die off starts and the effects of fire (including volcanic activity in some parts of the earth) which starts the process of regeneration again from the ground up. A good point about the values of the common man being reflected in their politicians. Somebody is voting them back in, right? So, there are people who are prepared to at least tolerate their immoral, foolish and corrupt behaviours. I do feel, as an older person, that the younger generation is mostly bereft of morality with some exceptions. So, how did those exceptional ones come about? Are they the result of innate character, religious indoctrination or personal choices that led them to a different outcome?
Whatever the case, agree on the need to build parallel societies that reflect our best practices and values, expressed in the concept 'of finding the others'. There is a shift happening around the world right now resulting in the establishment of connections and interactions between peoples of different societal strata, geographic locations and ethnicities who are rejecting what they've been witnessing within their countries and communities and are seeking out people and places that more accurately reflect their beliefs about how the world should be. Perhaps it was ever thus.
Thank you, Rolo.
The best preparation for adulthood in America was reading The Gulag Archipelago as a teenager.
We expect everyone to squeal and the petty thieves to run the show.
The prisoners will pretend to work, and the administration will pretend to feed them.
The line between good and evil cuts through every human heart, and the same man is a demon and an angel by turns.
Most importantly, in Gulag, it is the large ration that kills.
Yesterday's useful-idiot udarnik is today's garbage-eating dokhodyaga.
The craftiest zeks carve out a niche in the mess hall or in the hospital, because when wealth is forfeit, only health remains.
Holy crap you're on a Rolo! And Stalin's great grand-it? Who knew! No doubt it/they/them are wielding one of our tax payer funded assault rifles freshly acquired at the Azov Bazaar of Western Military Weapons and Munitions where as always: if you buy five, you get a javelin for free! Ahh the free market. Milton Friedman must be grinning in his grave.
Anyhoo, a few thoughts on your vision of a nationalist utopia which—if I read your essay correctly—centers around the principles of solidarity and strength both of which are being hunted to extinction in the West unless, of course, you're a Ukranian ultra-nationalist or a ravenous Zionist then it's not only ok, but it is also gleefully celebrated and almost 100% bipartisan supported as long as the Boogeyman is from the East. It doesn't matter if it's the Russians or the Chinese or the Arabs. They're all dirty Orcs in the eye's of the Western virtuous warriors. It wouldn't make any difference even if there was an existential threat to humanity that brought the world together in solidarity and strength to defeat it because the moment that we did, things would fall back into place right where we left off. But a nationalist island refuge does have its appeal. I wonder if Madagascar is available. 🤔
>>> Now, I don’t really view the average peasant and prole in America or Ukraine or Russia as entirely human. They’re just higher animals in my conception of them. I also don’t think that they have souls. But, I don’t categorize them as such out of spite, rather out of pity. If I thought of them as humans, I’d have to hold them to higher standards and judge them for their mistakes and their poor behavior, because being human means having the capacity to choose between right and wrong, solidarity and sliminess, loving one’s neighbors and ratting them out. By assuming that the average person is a potty-trained golem, I find it easier to absolve them of their bad behavior
This is pretty much a paraphrase of stuff that's been broadly understood for 2500 years. Bias of Priene put it best: HOI PLEISTOI ANTHROPOI KAKOI... Most people are shit
(NB: I translate "kakoi" as "shit" for a variety of reasons. It's a 'best fit' translation for a very flexible word that can mean a range of things from 'wicked/evil' to 'ugly/lame', but is cognate with kakkao ("shit") and kakkao is much older - it predates Greek in toto).
Speaking of: the Substack comment system is absolute, complete kakkao. They must have used $7/hr freelance pajeets.
There’s been a narrative spinning in my head about this very topic for the past couple years. I’ve believed that in general most people are mostly good and want to integrate into, and contribute to, a society. However, the past few years have ripped away the veneer of polite society and made me fully understand how stupid and self centered we are by nature. I don’t think we innately have goals of a common good. I think we generally like to work only as much as needed to survive. We need blunt force in the form of authority to keep us in line. And, properly done this is a civilizing force that does indeed lead to progress in all areas of humanity and better lives overall.
“A best practice that actually works.” Yes. There’s a saying something along the lines of “traditions are there for when we forget the reasons for doing what works.” Everything we believe and do as humans is built upon millions of deaths trying other ways. Religion, rule of law, marriage, families, diet, education, everything rides on a razor thin margin of success. And even at that, things often go wrong with our systems, because, well, humans. Internally each of us are psychotic messes. Combined into groups . . . well, things can go horribly wrong. Without, as you say, proper conditioning and leadership.
Our egos lead us to think we know better that every other generation before us, we’re smarter and won’t make the same mistakes. Of course these are instincts needed for survival and taking on challenges. Which works when kept (mostly) within well developed guardrails structured, again, by millennia of costly lessons learned. Sure, there will be people and groups outside those rails. They’ll either be massacring children or developing breakthrough inventions. Both extremes are necessary.
As a result of our dumb quest for equality we’ve lost our hero’s. Actually, we’ve destroyed our hero’s. I think, crucially, we’ve lost even the idea of a hero. Because we’re all special and deserving of everything, how is it possible to think of anyone better than ourselves ? The only option remaining is to despise everyone else. The obvious corollary being we’ve also lost an appreciation for true villains. Yeah, lots of vilifying happening, but not so much villainy with real physical results. Yet.
Parallel island societies, new social circles and a great turning away. I have hope that we can do these things and better our world. I have hope that the revolution of the internet is churning away, with a lot of harmful slag, but still a core that continues to fold and be hammered into a stronger conduit for a new society. I do often feel like we’ve lost, that we’re up against multinational corporations with unlimited funding. But then, I come upon writing like yours and communities within the Stacks and realize we’re multinational as well. We’re far more flexible and nimble, smarter and not constrained. I have renewed hope. Thank you for your writing, it is very inspiring and thought provoking.
"People get the government that the deserve."
- Grover Cleveland US President 22nd (1885-1889) and 24th (1893-1897)
Rolo you're not alone in your thinking and I too concur. We've created a slug society. A come as you are (it's all good, no it isn't), low rent, low life crowd of dolts. Many I'm convinced are low IQ including so called "experts" doctors, lawyers, educators politicians and garden variety white collar bottom feeding shark types. This personality type fits and can be found in every strata of society. I call them the "un-people"; unintelligent, uneducated, uncivilized, unsophisticated, uncouth, uninspiring, unattractive, unrefined and simply stated unimportant. Have you looked around lately? As I pavement pound the streets of NYC lately AKA New York Shitty, with my usual determined military stride I notice with exceptions as rare as my steaks, a populace of mindless daydreaming clowns over 50%+ are overweight to morbidly obese, tattoo covered, pieced, dyed hair almost any color of the spectrum, and clothed in ill fitting outfits including ripped clothes bought that way! Who in their right mind buys jeans, shirts or blouses that are ripped? WTF! Even the white collar crowd has no sense of style. Their suits are cheap poorly tailored, and mismatched. Clowns that buy a good suit and wear cheap shirts, ties and shoes, looking like major league assholes. And all of them are plugged into their phones. I've a very simple rule when it comes to style and your personal statement about yourself. "Nothing but the best...that you can afford." Always get the best in clothes, accessories, watches, cars, appliances, food, libations and women (one way or another you're paying) that you can afford. NO DEBT! You can't pay it off by the end of the month? Unless you're in a deep shit situation and need something, you let it go. You build that discipline and control not always easy but can be done.
Same with food all these, I was going to be polite but screw it, fat yeah FAT bastards you see throughout the day. Unless they have thyroid issues they are just undisciplined slobs. Half can't even wait to get home. They roam the streets eating! Like they might starve. On the subway you see this all the time. Eating, drinking their over priced caffeine loaded "designer coffees" then they wonder why their stressed and are short of money. After stuffing their faces they leave the garbage under the subway car bench or throw it on the tracks. 21st Century spur of the moment art. Give me art deco and futurist art any day! I eat one yes ONE meal a day usually between 6-8 PM, I use zero caffeine and drink water throughout the day. I read the labels of all foods I purchase ( I was a chef for over 30 years I know what to look for) I will eat nothing ZERO with high fructose corn syrup in it and never use seed oils for cooking. Only olive, coconut or avocado oils and butter. NO margarine it's poison. I stretch upper and lower body every day and work out adding yoga. I do this every day 24/7/365 we never close. Am I unique? Maybe, to say I had a tumultuous life would be an extreme understatement. But in my adversity in my pain, I found strength to not only overcome but to transcend. From my perspective if I could do it you can too, shut up, man up, if you can't you've got a serious problem. Everyone's got a hard luck story. I've got mine others have theirs, nobody want to hear mine and I don't want to hear theirs.
Moving right alone as I've said before, "God" is not "religion" besides who's populating the clergy the same types that you see in the overall society. And they'll always blow that horn about being humble and forgiving. Do they forgive? Yeah if you cow tow to their tunes. Most "religions" use their power over their "brand captured" (love this phrase) flock the way a bank or loan shark uses a debt. They never want the debt to be repaid and will not accept renegotiating. They're more than content to live happily off the interest, day after day, week after week, month after month, decade after decade century after century.
Don't get me started on corruption! Everyone hates corruption. Right? Yeah right! Here's the deal everyone hates corruption until their friend in city hall gets them a dashboard placard that allows them to park anywhere in the city at any time of day (except driveways or pumps) and never have an issue. No traffic cop or NYC towing will mess with you. But If I can get that deal and you can't you'll say "Dionysios is corrupt" is that what's bothering you, is that the issue, or is it jealousy and envy that YOU don't have the connection to get the same deal. Same with fenced goods AKA stolen merchandise. You visit a friends house and marvel at his gigantic flat screen TV. When you ask him did it cost a fortune he proudly replies, "Goes for 2,500 but I paid $500 cash." When you ask how he swung that he smiles and winks, "It fell off the truck." Are you indignant that your friend buys stolen merchandise making him complicit in the "crime"? Hell no you reply, "Can you hook me up? I'll take one too." Get the picture?
Now let's really let lose! #MeToo what a fraud it turned out to be. Let me cut to the chase. I 've always despised Harvey Weinstein but let me be blunt and clear did this fat rootless cosmopolitan force some women to submit to him I'm sure he did (and that is completely unacceptable for me). But if you think none would have happily satisfied him in return for a break out role and a six or seven figure paycheck then you need to change your meds. Look it's this way an actress has a boyfriend a WOKE SJW flake he takes her for a veggie burger and a movie and she "takes care of him". OK they had fun but it's not a game changer. So this same red carpet dreamer thinks, "If I screw this ugly fat pig with the permanent scruffy shadow on his ugly face, I can not only jump start my career but hit pay dirt. Dump the WOKE flake and find a real man (I'll leave my card in her mailbox.) it's worth it and she does it. Now years later the same "woman on the make" see another opportunity to jump start a slumped career and now lo and behold she's got buyers remorse. Yeah right peddle it somewhere else. But her behavior is encouraged. Why because of collective outrage, nah in the hopes of collecting some type of largess form the rich slob. Let me add I've also worked as an actor over 20 years , on stage, TV and in film. I've never seen any improper behavior, or intimidation of any type. Everyone casts and crews were professional courteous did their job (it is show "business" emphasis on "business") wrapped and went their separate ways.
I've been a bit long winded today. Let me add one final observation. When I was in my late teens I was briefly a street kid what you call in Russia гопник (gopnik) I ran with some rough crowds. But I found more honor among my "peers" than I would years later from so called "legitimate businessmen" most of whom were some of the most low end, lying, conniving, sleaziest, scumbags anyone can imagine. In the street a hand shake was a contract. On Wall Street with a "written contract you have a prayer" but with a "handshake nothing but air". Good luck paying your "legal fees" to get your due. In the street you got your cut in cash no records on your stash.
Can you fix this broken society? Yes a counter-revolution is needed and an authoritarian nationalist party must have power. All the great states understood this, Sparta, Rome, Byzantium, Mongols, Seljuks and Ottomans, Aztecs, Incas, Mayans, Imperial Russia, Imperial Japan, and the authoritarian states of the 20th Century. One of the keys to restoring the nationalist state is among other things how the children are treated and protected by that state. For me this is most important, of singular importance for the future of the culture and folk. Why? Stay tuned until my next instalment. Or go to my page. I might right about this in the near future.
Stalin's granddaughter as Tank Girl, Putin in a blazer and Adidas sweatpants. I've seen it all. You're right! Parallel structures within parallel societies, minimized liabilities and all but drawing fish in the dust and hiding in caves again, ha. When they cut the lights, your neighbor will drop the #metoo in favor of E Pluribus Unum or assume room temp. The better qualities of a person need not be drilled by another if the options are work together or face existential crisis. Learning on the job of being a real human. Things can look really good because things are looking really bad. I second General Blessoteric, btw. We live in a society tinged with feminine lunacy. A neutered neo-feudalism with less teeth and good instinct. "Gentle madmen" reverted to angry, impotent boys. I wonder what really happens. Why the degradation instead of self-mastery. Drugs? Culture war? Our own mothers, sisters, and neighbors?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1992/09/27/thus-spake-elisabeth/7278ca62-b312-455a-9430-a056e0c8d4b2/
I’m continually impressed with your thoughts and the artful way you string them together using the ‘people’s vernacular’ as you say.
The world needs leaders like you, prepare yourself and when the opportunity arises, seize it.
Yes, this.
The deeper motive behind why so many people in the West have consciously or unconsciously embraced the Great Progressive Agenda in the last 30 years is human pettiness. All they needed is some kind of pretest to torment whoever they feel has offended their sense of self-worthiness. Which, tellingly, sets the bar pretty low.
They have nothing better to do with their time essentially.
Now why this piece was not picked up by unz.com is beyond me.
Another excellent post. I wish in a way I didn't agree with it. Looking at the demonstrable nature of people is not inspiring. I worked for years in the corporate world with periods in the arts.
As a result of that experience I relate to:
Twain: the more I know of people, the more I like my dog
Samuel Johnson: I never cease to be amazed by man's propensity to stoop to meet the situation.
Consequently I am a populist who does not like most people. A nationalist who dislikes my country, America. A believer in White nationalism who does not like most White people and thinks most White countries are a blight on the planet.
It is interesting to observe what societies are run by seemingly sane, intelligent leaders and which ones are run by malicious fools who, at best, have no concern for the welfare of the citizens or, at worst, despise them and seek to harm them. What is the chicken and what is the egg?
Do quality leaders initially come about by chance then create strong societies or do strong societies create strong, competent leaders?
Seems to be a bit of both. The whole culture and system of America is so depraved and corrupted that it would be nearly impossible for a quality leader to both emerge and get anything done.
It would probably take a Putin situation where they thought they were getting a patsy but got a strong leader.
China seems to be the only culture that understands at all levels the threats to a healthy culture and country and builds systems to support a healthy culture. It is not surprising that they are a patriarchy.
Another very good piece Rolo.
The core issue is the in-group out-group distinction. The common man can be taught and motivated to adopt good behaviour if that leads to tangible benefits to the group he belongs to. Most people spontaneously seek a higher purpose for their existence and working for the benefit of the group could easily fulfil that calling. But he is denied the membership of a group : the people/nation is being hollowed out by the influx of unassimilated foreigners ; the churches have dissolved their mass-movements ; the neighbourhood is diversified ; the family is often spread over several cities or countries. Unions, criminal gangs, elite clubs have remained as meaningful groups.
I really doubt that nationalists/right-wingers would be able to regroup and form parallel societies. The elite will suppress any movement of significance in that direction. A recent example from France. Two entrepreneurs started a housing scheme aimed at traditionalist Catholics : build houses near monasteries, sell them to vetted traditionalists, create tightly-knitted local community. After marketing the scheme for a few months, came media attacks, the banks cancelled the financing, the local authority declared that they needed to reexamine the permission. Game over.
How do you build a parallel society when you are a prime target for dispersion ?
"Where are we, as a society, that we allow ourselves to be so easily convinced to engage in selfish, destructive behavior against our fellow prisoners?"
"Easily convinced" = readily manipulated. The Canadian truckers exemplified Bob Dylan's lyric, "I went down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse." We're not ALLOWING ourselves, manipulators are GOADING us. All that's necessary in the West is to suggest that some one or group might be a "irresponsible extremist" in some sense (vax, climate, guns, Trump, Putin), and the rest feel justified, indeed obligated, to engage in the latent sadism that was identiied in the Milgram experiment.
That's where we are. Maybe one of the "Take that, Putin"-cold-showers will snap people out of this politics of hate. Or, maybe the witch-burnings will continue to flame.
You have rambled on with nonsense. But at least you tried to address my previous question about what is the purpose of any best practice and the nature of the "good". You are searching for meaning. You seem utterly lost, but I wish you well on this quest. Your low opinion of the masses betrays an equally low opinion of yourself. Perhaps you might try reading a bit of Victor Frankl as to possible meaning of life, but then again he was merely a Jewish survivor. Yet, I partially agree with your claim that we mostly get the government that we deserve. Why not participate directly in the struggle rather than merely writing and pontificating about it like so many Ivory tower pundits.