Tuesday, February 25, 2014

For Depressed Conservatives and Libertarians

Any doubt about the future of the United States and the direction the country was heading was quickly eliminated in the election of 2012.  Most of us were hoping the first four years of the Obama administration was a fluke in American history.  That his election was only possible because of a childlike naivety on the part of an ignorant electorate.  That the voting public, temporarily star-struck, opted to vote with their emotions and not their heads.  And that after four years of the worst economic performance of any president since FDR, people would wake up, grow up, realize the error of their ways, and vote like mature adults the next time around.

Unfortunately most of us were wrong.

With the election of 2012 the American people have made it very clear which path they wish to take the United States down – socialism.  Whether cognizant of this fact or completely ignorant about it, it doesn’t matter, people voted the way they did.  They could still be fawning over President Obama like a teenage girl or Chris Matthews.  They could be the typical voter who votes for socialism because it sounds “nice.”  They could be the galactically ignorant soccer mom who believes no amount of other people’s money is too good for her children.  Or they could be fully informed socialists knowing damn well what they’re doing confiscating other people’s money.  The reason why doesn’t matter, all that matters “is what is.”

Of course “is what is” is a devastating blow to lot of conservatives, libertarians, freedom-lovers and what I henceforth refer to as “Real Americans.”  Not just because politically or ideologically “our team lost,” but because our entire lives and all of our futures are now in question. 

Understand that you, me and everybody else who loved America, believed in America, and loves freedom grew up under some basic assumptions.   And not only did we grow up under these basic assumptions, we based our lives and our decisions around these premises.  We assumed the United States would continue to be the freest country in the world.  We assumed we would be able to keep the lion’s share of our income and wealth.  We assumed hard work, innovation, and efficiency would be rewarded.  We assumed if we worked hard at something our dreams could be realized.  In short it was all that made America not just great, but the most successful country in the history of the world and we poured our hearts and souls into these beliefs.

Unfortunately, with these basic premises no longer certain all of the work, effort and time we put into our lives, and therefore our futures, are also no longer certain.  Did you attend college to become a doctor?  Well too bad, you may have wage controls with Obamacare.  Did you work hard to become an engineer and create something?  Too bad, we may have to confiscate your income at a 60% level.  Did you have dreams of starting up a motorcycle shop?  Too bad we’re going to regulate and tax it out of existence.  Were you planning on marrying a nice girl?  Too bad, feminism has destroyed the quality of women.  Did you want to have children? Too bad the state will raise your children.  Did you want your children to have a better life than you?  Too bad, your generational peers voted to mortgage your children into financial slavery.  Say, nice sizeable 401k plan you have there!  Too bad, we’re going to nationalize it just like Argentina did.

The end result is EXTRAORDINARILY depressing.  Not only is it increasingly likely you’ve lived your life in vain, but you’ve lived a significant percentage of your life in slavery.  Worse still any dreams you had are becoming rapidly impossible.  And even worse than that is without your dreams there’s nothing you can uniquely achieve that would define you. 

In short your life has no meaning.

This epiphany, whether consciously realized or not, obviously takes a devastating toll on all Real Americans.  Anecdotal though it may be, everyone I personally know is more depressed today than they were a decade ago.  I know more than one rugged individualist contemplating suicide.  And there’s no shortage of old men I know who MEAN IT when they say,

“Thank god I’m not going to be around to see this country collapse!” 

The entire population of Real Americans is defeated emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.  With no purpose or future they are simply asking “Why go on?  Why continue?  Why did I work so hard?  What is left to live for?”

But dire as the situation may be, there is some hope.  Genuine hope, not the hope that is found in presidential speeches and pablum.  Hope that is practical, real, and will yield results.  However, this hope comes from the only place real hope can come from – within – which means we have to focus on ourselves and what is within our control to realize this hope and capitalize on it.  This isn’t to say that the world will turn out all roses and dachshunds, nor is it going to be the “faux depressing type of hope” akin to when your mother would say,

“Well at least you aren’t a cancerous, Ebola-infected, starving, blind quadriplegic, leper living in war-torn Ethiopia with lice!”

But at minimum this book will show you there is a future, you can live a happy life, the left will get their comeuppance, and no matter how bad it gets, there is always a way to “Enjoy the Decline.”

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"They could be the galactically ignorant soccer mom who believes no amount of other people’s money is too good for her children"

Exactly, great quote. Because every ridiculous attempt to legislate morality or a person's individual choices was spearheaded by soccer/helicopter moms.

60% of your property tax bill goes to the schools "for the children", even though you may not have any kids. 2 families that each have one child using the same school, but Family B has 2,000 more square feet on their house: They pay more for the same usage of school and other services, even though they are not using more.

War on Drugs? That giant failure was spearheaded by soccer Mom's who fell for the "gateway drug" nonsense. The list goes on and on and on.

Sean said...

Looks like Karl Denninger agrees and is closing up shop to "Enjoy The Decline".

------------------------------------------

"For all of the above reasons, enumerated and not, I decline to continue under the current arrangement. I'm seven years into this and enough is enough.

[b]I'd rather go running with actual friends and then perhaps partake of a drink at the local pub where I can have a face-to-face conversation with real people. Or, maybe I'll go fishing.[/b]

Therefore what was is no longer. The Market Ticker will continue to publish articles at my whim if events catch my eye, much as Musings used to before The Ticker existed. I suspect there will be plenty that I want to comment on in the coming months and years. However, all comments will be moderated and will appear whenever I get around to looking at and approving them, starting here and now. The rest of what was Tickerforum has been closed."

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=228802

Phil Galt said...

OK...I already read something to this effect in your #$%* book a while back. The good news is that it's still as motivating for me now as it was then!

I'm gonna head into that contract gig at a mega-corp that has already beaten itself to death, put in just enough time to let them know I am there, I'm gonna come back to the main office that I have effectively been using to my own ends for a while now, send out an update to a customer that doesn't pay as well, but is WAY MORE FUN to deal with. And then I'm gonna spend the rest of the day on the Brainiac project.

Some people might say that I am stealing from the company as I am not devoting 110% of my time here to their betterment, but sadly two hours of my time is worth eighth (sometimes even ten) hours of encorperata time! Don't think I've forgotten who set up this new department, who saved the encorperata group when their people were too busy circle-jerking each other on conference calls, or how that one stupid-bitch knows full-well who disabled her computer by sticking a piece of masking tape to the underside of her mouse but is too chicken to do anything about it!

It's a glorious day in the wasteland!

Anonymous said...

The first term of Bathhouse Barry's performance was NOT the worst one since FDR. It was the worst since Ulysses Grant's, another federal invader of sovereign states.

But as things go, mine is a distinction without a difference. Carry on, Capp'n!

Celtic Tiger Dad said...

The solution to this depressing state of America is to MOVE. Go to someplace inexpensive and friendly.

http://retirecheap.asia/retire-thailand/

Anonymous said...

until you're ready to go the extra step and look for alternatives (as opposed to bemoaning the headlines), you'll be sidelined as an opportunist shilling a book

"enjoy the decline" isn't a valid philosophical response to a challenge. enumerating a response is. suggest you begin migrating into "look to the future"-- you're a bright guy. start with moldbug.

MarkyMark said...

Celtic Tiger,

I was thinking of expatting to Peru. It's a modern, vibrant country brimming with opportunity! That's more than you can say about the USSA...

MarkyMark

Anonymous said...

Forgive me, Cap'n, but I feel compelled to respond to Anonymous 11:58 AM. This is, of course, my opinion and not that of the Cap'n.

You suggest look to the future? I suggest you get a copy of Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, available free on Gutenberg Project.

There is no future for us, and for pretty much the same reasons.

I spent 10,000 hours over 10 years, looking for alternative solutions as you suggest, and working to change the opinions of key people to save this society. It cannot be done. Never has been; never will be.

Once the takers have control of the society, it's over. All the great civilizations went finally through the same collapse, and no one ever found an alternative solution.

You remind me of my big-talking son-in-law. When I announced I had done more than one man's share and was bailing out to Mexico, he informed me haughtily HE was not a coward, implying I was, and that he was going to stay and fight.

When I asked for technical details of the mighty fight he was planning, he told me of the time he flew to D.C. and cowered in the midst of 100,000 protesters. Oh, man, was I impressed! I almost did poopy in my underwear. You can't make up stuff like this.

When I protested, it was two of us marching around the court house. Or 5 of us meeting with the governor of our state. And, I wrote over 15 years every two months a militant op-ed to the local newspaper. I was one of the best known and most hated men (and proud of it) in my city of 100,000 people.

It doesn't work. It never did and it never will. You come up with your brilliant alternative solutions, but they cannot be implemented when millions of people do not agree with you. Another name for One Man Army is cadaver.

The Captain is correct. Disgustingly correct. There is no solution. He at least is going to enjoy the decline.

Anonymous age 71

Anonymous said...

MarkyMark, DGM-4 is now kaput, because Lee has graduated from the Men's movement, and has a great life in China. But, we had a man who expatted to Peru, and immigration is much easier than in many other countries. Good choice.

If I did not already have my own personal paradise in Mexico, among my my wife's kinfolk, I might consider Peru also. But, instant kinfolk is a major aid to adapting to a different culture.

On the other hand, international economists predict that in another short generation, Mexico will probably be the economic power house of the Western hemisphere. I can see elements of that future myself.

But, everyone of us is different with different personalities, and so each one of us may have a different place to expat to.

Anonymous age 71

Anonymous said...

I tried to discuss _Enjoy The Decline_ with Dennninger and got banned for my trouble. He's dead to me.