Note: See below about rulers harassing the Nat Con event in Brussels. Added after I wrote the post. IM-1776 ran a debate between Curtis “Moldbug” Yarvin and Chris Rufo. It might be entitled Winning Is Losing. As always, Yarvin never uses one word when he can squeeze in seven. He also boldly wanders off into Theory more than is desirable or seemly. He is brash, sarcastic, hectoring (suggesting a history between him and Rufo). Plus, I’m still disappointed in Yarvin over his
The harsh reality is that the quality of government a society can expect is to a very large extent constrained by the moral, ethical and spiritual center of mass of the members of that society. Where is our moral center of gravity when it’s not moral table-stakes that profit-motivated poisoning and mutilating children at all, much less without even a nod to their parents, is abhorrent? That should be universal, but it’s not.
Government has become an industry — an undertaking of profit and power and careers. And politicians and bureaucrats are just as ruthless in their selfish ambition as corporate ladder-climbers (I will stipulate that this doesn’t apply to all politicians and bureaucrats, but to enough that the residual is of little consequence). The entire system selects for those pursuing self interest, and the “-ism” or platform on which any particular one runs is, by and large, a fig leaf for their naked ambition and lust for power. And this, of course, eventually leads to collapse, which, whether you’re prepared to admit it or not, is upon us.
Now, don’t think I am saying that there is no room for men and women of principle — quite the contrary. They are desperately needed now to start those nascent movements that will, in due course, form the nucleus of what comes after the collapse. We need to support them now, not in the belief that they are going to save what we have, for that is lost, but rather for them to gain experience and knowledge for their post-collapse efforts to begin to begin to build a worthy successor (or successors) to the failed republic.
"One of the speakers, Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, told me ...' the police officers are entirely on our side.'"
That's only reassuring if a Strong Man comes along soon. And real soon, since the leftists are purging the police and military since the Summer of George/Covid. Still, it points to cowardice among the police, since they continue to implement the designs of the regime even though they know them to be illegitimate. Gotta keep those eyes on the pensions, right?
As I have noted, Rufo has a 1980 own the libs strat, which only nibbles at the edges. We are far beyond that strat now. Yarvin has the more pointed argument if you get past all the other stuff you mention. Advantage Yarvin.
You brought something up that I’ve been thinking about for a long time - whether or not violence is needed. The truth is that our society is like a Gordian knot, trying to carefully untangle it is an exercise in utility. Only a sword can untangle it now.
Mr. Briggs, many thanks for the link to Yarvin's "Plan A". Had not read it. Had looked at his stuff only a time or two. Very briefly. And did not understand why he is considered a big deal. He seems like a mega-techie guy. I'd like to share with him my neo-Luddite appraisal of how our lives have been improved by tech since the late Middle Ages: Said improvements are only two -- anaesthesia and modern dentistry. That is all.
I didn't watch the intellectual slap-fight between Yarvin and Rufo, so I don't know if this was covered, but there's an aspect to this that is the wildcard in the mix: the collapse of the dollar. BRICS countries seem to be just fine buying Saudi oil in yuan or rubles. The entire facade of Western governance is propped up by the USD/petrodollar as the Reserve currency. If that continues heading the way it is, at some point your dollars will be worth less than toilet paper... significantly less. And THAT is when fun times will really begin! At that point, it won't matter how Woke or Conservative the Congress or President is because we will begin to explore the notion of how many missed meals civilization really is away from collapse.
I, for one, will wish my fellow Americans, and even those here illegally, who live in large cities the very best of luck. Me and Mine out here in flyover country? I predict that we'll find a way to exchange value the old-fashioned way AND we'll cling to our "Bibles and guns" while doing so.
More high quality observational rubbish hot off the press: "Contralateral second dose improves antibody responses to a 2-dose mRNA vaccination regimen". That's right folks simply switching arm between covid jabs increases immunity! Read it for yourself at:
I’m a huge fan of your Substack. You’re takes on the “expertocracy” are timely and insightful, and I appreciate the stand you take against the tyranny of “the science.” With a clear eyed understanding of our decline- and an understanding of history- you’re able to recognize the direction we are headed and the likely outcome. My general take is that lockesean liberalism has run its course as a guiding ideology for government, and most of todays political battles are, at root, what will be its replacement. I would argue this is a fight that began at the end of the 19th century-it is certainly an overarching theme of the two great wars of the 20th century.
Sadly, I do expect more violence as we collectively try to determine what comes next. It seems to me that the main thing preventing violence at present (or, more accurately, containing the violence in two small theaters -and other hot spots, of course), is the residue of Christianity in the west, the cultural memory of the horrors of the 20th century wars and revolutions, and the recognition among the so called “political right” that, once the violence begins, Lockesean liberalism is well and truly dead, and the battle is over which side gets to replace it.
Furthermore, I believe those who would be such partisans recognize that such a fight would not be a simple matter of region versus region, but rather a catastrophic bloodbath fought town by town and city by city. No person of good will wants such a calamity. Realistically, if the political “right” wins the fight, it just means decentralization, with order being restored in some places but not most.
Like you, I see this as inevitable if our self declared overlords continue down the path they so cavalierly traverse. There remains a threshold for the amount of despotism and exploitation that will be tolerated by liberty minded men and women of good will. I pray we are spared such a future, but as Christianity continues to dissolve and out cultural memory of the savagery of the twentieth century fades, i fear it becomes more likely.
I don’t remember who said it, but I think it can be summed up in this quote: “If you don’t like the Christian Right, wait until you see the post Christian Right.” At the time that was said, I’m sure there was a certain comedic undertone to the serious warning it was intended as. Now that it is rapidly approaching, I can find no humor in the quote, only dread.
Thank you for your efforts. Let us hope the pen can remain the weapon with which we fight this fight. The alternative is too horrifying to dwell on for long.
"Their invariable counter-reaction makes things worse. The left feeds on having enemies."
This statement is absolutely, positively, dangerously, wrong! The Left is at its genocidal worst when it doesn't have a worthy enemy. Stalin liberalized a bit during World War II. He was in genocide mode when Germany was weak and the West was in Great Depression. The Soviet Union liberalized to the point of collapse when the U.S. went on the offense under Reagan.
After McGovern got clobbered, the Democrats ran Jimmy Carter, who was more conservative than most Republicans. When Mondale got clobbered, the remaining moderate southern Democrats formed the Democratic Leadership Council and pushed the party towards the center. We got a brief period of [cash basis] balanced budgets and welfare reform in the process.
The Left has gone into Maoist Cultural Revolution Mode because they have won too many victories. Give them more losses and they'll go back to advocating for free speech.
An accurate assessment based on the history of 'democracies.' Our republic will transition through a period of crisis and emergency as the rulers and experts devolve into cannabalists. Then we must brace ourselves for the coming of a 'strong man' to set things aright - and he will stay! It feels as if we are the roman state in 49 BC.
Here is a first draft of a plan out of the collapse for the US. (Most of it is joyful and harmless joking, of course)
First, pick an empty space in the US, create a city, call it Rome, and put a Pope there, with many men and big guns. Declare that the other Rome, the real one, has been sequestered and must be liberated in a Holy Crusade.
Then, when no one expects it, invade Canada. They won't fight. Create three areas: Homostan in Vancouver, Nazistan in Ontario, and let the rest be a Stateless area, waiting to be civilized by the new American Catholic Church.
Then, throw all Enlightened people into the stateless reserva... I mean, area.
Now, announce plans to invade Mexico to liberate it from freemasons, as part of the Reconquista to liberate the Rome of Old World. When no one looks, take all the Jesuits in the US and throw them off planes in China, parachutes are optional.
When you are free from the Jesuits you will see how all the New Age stuff vanishes into thin air. That's the moment when you force all computer programmers and systems engineers and electrical engineers to become ordained in some church, either the catholic, or orthodox, or even the few passable protestant churches. This should not be a problem, given that 99% of technologists are celibate by default.
This is important to establish the foundation that technical people must answer to someone spiritually and materially. They must live a thrifty life, ornamented by contemplation and study.
Then, force all science papers to be published only under the scrutiny and authorization of censors from the Church.
Establish the limitation that only smart people should own smartphones, so that means you can ban 99% of them.
An important idea to win the hearts of environmentalists: ban all plastics. Everything must be glass or ceramic or wooden. Period. Use rabbits for glue, pines for tar, and green activists for quills and ink.
----
End of the first draft.
I think Yarvin is too pessimistic on account of believing fantasies about technology.
Rufo begins at the end. First the people who wish to restore the republic should focus on restoring the individual republics. The main problem is the impossibility to represent the people. There are two possible ways. One is to increment the number of representatives to reflect the population. This is very impractical, you may end up with legislatures of 100,000 officials. The other way is better: reduce the term limits to three months. The Governor of state so-and-so may only be in office for three months. Same for every other elected official. Then, they have to go back to private life.
I wish these two people would be forced to debate practical ideas, like defaulting on all public debt, or closing all American military bases abroad. Both are practical ideas, that would cause great tribulation in the whole world. American allies need to understand: the ruin of America is also their doom.
Another practical idea that could really change many things: abolish all forms of intellectual property. If that cannot save culture and science, nothing will.
What you are doing (writing) here is useless. ACTIS NON VERBIS. Ike deported 3 million wetbacts (as operation was titled "operation wetback".) Regardless of the number he did it, not talked about it. Man up and do something today.
The harsh reality is that the quality of government a society can expect is to a very large extent constrained by the moral, ethical and spiritual center of mass of the members of that society. Where is our moral center of gravity when it’s not moral table-stakes that profit-motivated poisoning and mutilating children at all, much less without even a nod to their parents, is abhorrent? That should be universal, but it’s not.
Government has become an industry — an undertaking of profit and power and careers. And politicians and bureaucrats are just as ruthless in their selfish ambition as corporate ladder-climbers (I will stipulate that this doesn’t apply to all politicians and bureaucrats, but to enough that the residual is of little consequence). The entire system selects for those pursuing self interest, and the “-ism” or platform on which any particular one runs is, by and large, a fig leaf for their naked ambition and lust for power. And this, of course, eventually leads to collapse, which, whether you’re prepared to admit it or not, is upon us.
Now, don’t think I am saying that there is no room for men and women of principle — quite the contrary. They are desperately needed now to start those nascent movements that will, in due course, form the nucleus of what comes after the collapse. We need to support them now, not in the belief that they are going to save what we have, for that is lost, but rather for them to gain experience and knowledge for their post-collapse efforts to begin to begin to build a worthy successor (or successors) to the failed republic.
"One of the speakers, Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, told me ...' the police officers are entirely on our side.'"
That's only reassuring if a Strong Man comes along soon. And real soon, since the leftists are purging the police and military since the Summer of George/Covid. Still, it points to cowardice among the police, since they continue to implement the designs of the regime even though they know them to be illegitimate. Gotta keep those eyes on the pensions, right?
Thanks for bringing Yarvins embarrassing covid takes to my attention.
As I have noted, Rufo has a 1980 own the libs strat, which only nibbles at the edges. We are far beyond that strat now. Yarvin has the more pointed argument if you get past all the other stuff you mention. Advantage Yarvin.
This is the clearest discussion of Where We Are
You brought something up that I’ve been thinking about for a long time - whether or not violence is needed. The truth is that our society is like a Gordian knot, trying to carefully untangle it is an exercise in utility. Only a sword can untangle it now.
Mr. Briggs, many thanks for the link to Yarvin's "Plan A". Had not read it. Had looked at his stuff only a time or two. Very briefly. And did not understand why he is considered a big deal. He seems like a mega-techie guy. I'd like to share with him my neo-Luddite appraisal of how our lives have been improved by tech since the late Middle Ages: Said improvements are only two -- anaesthesia and modern dentistry. That is all.
I didn't watch the intellectual slap-fight between Yarvin and Rufo, so I don't know if this was covered, but there's an aspect to this that is the wildcard in the mix: the collapse of the dollar. BRICS countries seem to be just fine buying Saudi oil in yuan or rubles. The entire facade of Western governance is propped up by the USD/petrodollar as the Reserve currency. If that continues heading the way it is, at some point your dollars will be worth less than toilet paper... significantly less. And THAT is when fun times will really begin! At that point, it won't matter how Woke or Conservative the Congress or President is because we will begin to explore the notion of how many missed meals civilization really is away from collapse.
I, for one, will wish my fellow Americans, and even those here illegally, who live in large cities the very best of luck. Me and Mine out here in flyover country? I predict that we'll find a way to exchange value the old-fashioned way AND we'll cling to our "Bibles and guns" while doing so.
More high quality observational rubbish hot off the press: "Contralateral second dose improves antibody responses to a 2-dose mRNA vaccination regimen". That's right folks simply switching arm between covid jabs increases immunity! Read it for yourself at:
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/176411/pdf
I’m a huge fan of your Substack. You’re takes on the “expertocracy” are timely and insightful, and I appreciate the stand you take against the tyranny of “the science.” With a clear eyed understanding of our decline- and an understanding of history- you’re able to recognize the direction we are headed and the likely outcome. My general take is that lockesean liberalism has run its course as a guiding ideology for government, and most of todays political battles are, at root, what will be its replacement. I would argue this is a fight that began at the end of the 19th century-it is certainly an overarching theme of the two great wars of the 20th century.
Sadly, I do expect more violence as we collectively try to determine what comes next. It seems to me that the main thing preventing violence at present (or, more accurately, containing the violence in two small theaters -and other hot spots, of course), is the residue of Christianity in the west, the cultural memory of the horrors of the 20th century wars and revolutions, and the recognition among the so called “political right” that, once the violence begins, Lockesean liberalism is well and truly dead, and the battle is over which side gets to replace it.
Furthermore, I believe those who would be such partisans recognize that such a fight would not be a simple matter of region versus region, but rather a catastrophic bloodbath fought town by town and city by city. No person of good will wants such a calamity. Realistically, if the political “right” wins the fight, it just means decentralization, with order being restored in some places but not most.
Like you, I see this as inevitable if our self declared overlords continue down the path they so cavalierly traverse. There remains a threshold for the amount of despotism and exploitation that will be tolerated by liberty minded men and women of good will. I pray we are spared such a future, but as Christianity continues to dissolve and out cultural memory of the savagery of the twentieth century fades, i fear it becomes more likely.
I don’t remember who said it, but I think it can be summed up in this quote: “If you don’t like the Christian Right, wait until you see the post Christian Right.” At the time that was said, I’m sure there was a certain comedic undertone to the serious warning it was intended as. Now that it is rapidly approaching, I can find no humor in the quote, only dread.
Thank you for your efforts. Let us hope the pen can remain the weapon with which we fight this fight. The alternative is too horrifying to dwell on for long.
"Their invariable counter-reaction makes things worse. The left feeds on having enemies."
This statement is absolutely, positively, dangerously, wrong! The Left is at its genocidal worst when it doesn't have a worthy enemy. Stalin liberalized a bit during World War II. He was in genocide mode when Germany was weak and the West was in Great Depression. The Soviet Union liberalized to the point of collapse when the U.S. went on the offense under Reagan.
After McGovern got clobbered, the Democrats ran Jimmy Carter, who was more conservative than most Republicans. When Mondale got clobbered, the remaining moderate southern Democrats formed the Democratic Leadership Council and pushed the party towards the center. We got a brief period of [cash basis] balanced budgets and welfare reform in the process.
The Left has gone into Maoist Cultural Revolution Mode because they have won too many victories. Give them more losses and they'll go back to advocating for free speech.
"It has to be, and will be, a man who understands and will use violence. In any case, all of this seems far off"
It also seems like that will be man of the left
Control the currency and you control the "nation" (what a cute word).
An accurate assessment based on the history of 'democracies.' Our republic will transition through a period of crisis and emergency as the rulers and experts devolve into cannabalists. Then we must brace ourselves for the coming of a 'strong man' to set things aright - and he will stay! It feels as if we are the roman state in 49 BC.
Very interesting.
Here is a first draft of a plan out of the collapse for the US. (Most of it is joyful and harmless joking, of course)
First, pick an empty space in the US, create a city, call it Rome, and put a Pope there, with many men and big guns. Declare that the other Rome, the real one, has been sequestered and must be liberated in a Holy Crusade.
Then, when no one expects it, invade Canada. They won't fight. Create three areas: Homostan in Vancouver, Nazistan in Ontario, and let the rest be a Stateless area, waiting to be civilized by the new American Catholic Church.
Then, throw all Enlightened people into the stateless reserva... I mean, area.
Now, announce plans to invade Mexico to liberate it from freemasons, as part of the Reconquista to liberate the Rome of Old World. When no one looks, take all the Jesuits in the US and throw them off planes in China, parachutes are optional.
When you are free from the Jesuits you will see how all the New Age stuff vanishes into thin air. That's the moment when you force all computer programmers and systems engineers and electrical engineers to become ordained in some church, either the catholic, or orthodox, or even the few passable protestant churches. This should not be a problem, given that 99% of technologists are celibate by default.
This is important to establish the foundation that technical people must answer to someone spiritually and materially. They must live a thrifty life, ornamented by contemplation and study.
Then, force all science papers to be published only under the scrutiny and authorization of censors from the Church.
Establish the limitation that only smart people should own smartphones, so that means you can ban 99% of them.
An important idea to win the hearts of environmentalists: ban all plastics. Everything must be glass or ceramic or wooden. Period. Use rabbits for glue, pines for tar, and green activists for quills and ink.
----
End of the first draft.
I think Yarvin is too pessimistic on account of believing fantasies about technology.
Rufo begins at the end. First the people who wish to restore the republic should focus on restoring the individual republics. The main problem is the impossibility to represent the people. There are two possible ways. One is to increment the number of representatives to reflect the population. This is very impractical, you may end up with legislatures of 100,000 officials. The other way is better: reduce the term limits to three months. The Governor of state so-and-so may only be in office for three months. Same for every other elected official. Then, they have to go back to private life.
I wish these two people would be forced to debate practical ideas, like defaulting on all public debt, or closing all American military bases abroad. Both are practical ideas, that would cause great tribulation in the whole world. American allies need to understand: the ruin of America is also their doom.
Another practical idea that could really change many things: abolish all forms of intellectual property. If that cannot save culture and science, nothing will.
What you are doing (writing) here is useless. ACTIS NON VERBIS. Ike deported 3 million wetbacts (as operation was titled "operation wetback".) Regardless of the number he did it, not talked about it. Man up and do something today.