I’ve noticed two popular trends in thought.
One is “Woe is us, we will all die of climate change, inequity, pollution and overpopulation!” That is on the Left.
The other is, “We will make America great again no matter what. We will save our nation, get Trump back in so he can fix everything. We will send ships to Mars, start space colonies, learn to master AI technology for a perfectly rosy future.” This is on the Right.
(There are also the doomers or black pills who frequent sites like Substack. I struggle not to succumb to this. And the optimistic New Agers who say we can save ourselves by “boosting consciousness.”)
What do hopelessness and a hopium high have in common? Both encourage passivity. Give up or sit around trusting The Plan. Vote for the Donald.
Of course, there are Christians who say we should just trust Jesus and passively await the Second Coming. The Bible says faith without works is dead.
Just because God is all powerful and everything relies on Him does not mean He wants His children to be lazy. With me it is not laziness but physical weakness. Chronic weakness and pain. I wish I could do something. But many days I can barely get out of bed.
My isolated situation does not help.
I would love to build a Go Kart. It could be done for a few hundred dollars, assuming I can master my father’s power tools and overcome my lack of mechanical skills.
Here’s a link to a man who loves building go karts. Free plans on his site. woodworkingnut.com/2023/09/17/how-to-make-a-wood-go-kart-2/
I would try to incorporate a steam engine into the design. Like this one. Made from a shock absorber.
A true parallel economy must provide alternatives to their supply chains. This requires vehicles they cannot control. They must run independently of the government’s grid and without the gas of their corporation cronies. Ideally, they would be all terrain as well.
Torba and the Health Ranger keep pushing AI. But we need an offline economy that makes physical products to be used IRL. Food, clothes, some sort of medicine, methods of staying warm in the winter, water, waste disposal. Primitive systems will do the trick if they keep us alive and independent of Them.
As gas prices go up and up, I can imagine hard-working, clever young men escaping the NEET hole by building these at the local level. Because they would not use the factory model, they could navigate the state and local regulations more easily. The village carriage maker could once again become a career choice. Along with the blacksmith who would also weld and know how to use old aluminum cans. The local printer, tailer, butcher, locksmith, etc.
What did our country’s forefathers do? They declared their independence of the British crown and no longer expected the rights and privileges afforded its subjects.
Guess what the colonists did not do. They did not send boatloads of soldiers over to England to march on London and depose George III in order to replace him with our very own homegrown King George IV. To hear some of the Patriots talk, you would think they want to set up our own American empire with its own monarchy started by Donald I. To those who laugh or snort in disbelief there are those comments on SM praising having Trump for an absolute monarch and letting one of his sons inherit.
Deep down, the human heart yearns to have an absolute dictator take control to make them feel safe and protected. The desire for freedom is not universal after all. Liberty requires sacrifice, risks, and hard work. Look at how many people gladly sold themselves into slavery over the past 4 years just to feel safe from the scariest head cold on record.
It’s very frustrating and disheartening how many want to live in a totalitarian nightmare dystopia. Like a very stupid woman who prefers a violent abusive thug of a boyfriend to staying unattached. Never mind that she would be in less danger living alone. Her feelings don’t care about the facts. Not only does she keep returning to the creep she adores for his wickedness but drags others into danger as well. (Children, friends who visit, etc.)
That’s what the lovers of totalitarianism are like. They love being abused because “muh safety” and insist on dragging others in as well. The big, strong government makes them feel safe and protected and provides for their every need. No matter that they could provide for their own needs and do it better than the abuser. No. They need a brutal dictator to take care of them. They already love Big Brother better than friends or family. No need for the Ministry of Love to step in.
Is it possible to use analog for currencies (coins) instead of digital?
Excellent overview of the world we live in.
Personal responsibility seems to be lacking in our society today.
It’s someone else’s fault. Someone else needs to do it. I’m always right and everyone else is wrong.
Selfish pride is a virtue in this self centered society.
Serving others. Maybe we should try that.
The Golden Rule may be a good place to start. Myself included.