The Journey/Fight Going Forward

As we enter the new year, I want all of you to know that my “hands off the wheel” approach to what I write and podcast is going to continue. I have plans for certain episodes and Substacks but I am on a journey and sometimes I’m not sure where that journey will lead me. I believe most of you recognize that fact and have decided to come along for the ride. Others have chosen not to. Every time a paid subscriber unsubscribes, I get an email. Most of the time there is no explanation which is perfectly fine. I honestly hope the reason for departure is due to someone choosing to get “off the ride” and not for monetary issues because, paid subscriber or not, I want you all to thrive. On the rare occasion someone messages me that their leaving is due to financial hardships I always let them know that if things get tough to let me know and I will reach out to the community for help. I believe that if you’re here we share the same values and as much as it pains me to say this, that can mean we share more in common than we do with actual blood right now. 

I used the term “hands off the wheel” above because I’m at the point where the only thing that matters to me is knowledge. I’m searching for knowledge that can be used to help me grow personally, and to help me grow in my understanding of the world I’m living in.  

I’ve flippantly commented on several occasions that “theory doesn’t matter.” That’s not entirely true. Theory does matter to me if it helps me understand the here and now. Sometimes that theory presents itself in how history played out in a certain location. Often that can be a complete mystery to the person to whom I’m trying to explain it. Whether it be their ideological box or their attempt to hold onto an identity associated with said ideology doesn’t matter. My journey for knowledge is not their journey. And if they abandon watching your journey, or even openly look to criticize or delegitimize it, that’s OK too. I’ve done it. When people have been tied to an identity and then decide to purposely abandon that identity, most will try to drag as many people along with them as they can. I don’t think this is dangerous or harmful. Political identities aren’t real, no matter how much one tries to tie moral grandeur to them. People are not their political identities. Identifying as such is for those who either have no real identity or depend upon their identity and in-group for a paycheck. I can speak to this at length and have.  

Our lives are our own, but it is rare that one can exist in the CURRENT world as an island. There are some that have accumulated enough wealth to be able to subsist and fight the regime without building community. But those people are rare. Thankfully, I’m acquainted with a few who are generous and will help those who truly need help. The rest of us however, must rely on community. And that starts with you, the individual. It then radiates out to your spouse, your kids, extended family, if they are there and on board. And THEN the like-minded. Three or four strong families living reasonably close to each other can come together to weather most storms.  

I don’t think most people, even in our spheres, realize how close this society is to local breakdowns in essential infrastructure. We see examples such as the Jackson, Mississippi Water Crisis and make the obvious jokes believing it can’t happen where we live. I beg you to rethink that.  

We are entering that traditional time of year when people make resolutions, which they will inevitably break by January 7th. Let’s resolve to fortify our situations like the Regime fortifies elections. Let’s just make sure to do it in an intelligent manner, without drawing attention to ourselves. I guarantee you that if Molly Ball writes a Time cover article on our “fortification,” it won’t be a celebration of what we accomplished.