Already have an account? log in
This article is FREE for you
Create a free account and join institutional investors, analysts and strategists from the world's largest banks
By submitting your email address you agree to receive communication by email
Resignation
The friend
I checked into the Perry Lane in downtown Savannah on December 5 around two, and
OR, subscribe now for unlimited access
By submitting your email address you agree to receive communication by email
By submitting your email address you agree to receive communication by email
Reading this brilliant essay was both horrifying and uplifting; on one hand I was newly shocked that such an idiot could pull off this level of chaos and destruction with such speed, and on the other hand, acknowledging that Minneapolis was developing a scalable model of resistance in even greater speed. Minnesotans are, in real time, demonstrating their willingness to defeat the “might makes right” order of the day. We should all be taking good notes.
“ Not me, though. Judge me derelict in my civic duty if you will, but all I see in the grotesque carnival of 21st century fascist populism is a reflection of the futile tragicomedy that is the human condition more generally.”
I have expressed a very similar view to both real friends and “acquaintances” in several occasions, particularly recently as people around me voice the need to resist, to do more. When I respond that I have no faith in the US or its population to overcome what is coming and detail the reasons behind my assertion I usually get the “you should not be so cynical and pessimist” reaction. I might be a cynic but I certainly do not consider myself a pessimist, I consider my view of humanity’s prospects, and more specifically about the future of the US experiment, to be simply realistic, not pessimistic. Can the increasingly intellectually lazy US population overcome the slide towards fascism with US characteristics? I hope I’m wrong and that the answer is yes, I simply do not think it is. When my closest friend, a true unwavering New England liberal with an implacable moral compass, promises to fight this “regime” even if it costs her life and chastises me for not assuming a similar attitude, all I can do is tell her my honest opinion, folks in the US (at least a majority of them) are getting what they voted for, currently some celebrate or ignore our new reality, soon it will become a nightmare for almost everyone regardless of ideological leanings. I live a privileged existence, I am very aware of that fact and how frail my reality is, I can pick almost any place in this planet as my main place of residence, if I have my choice of “autocracy,” it won’t be to live under Trump’s autocracy, I am “leaving,” and leaving the fight to braver souls than mine, I rather enjoy good food and wine while my days last.
I’ve been workshopping some ideas around social capital, generational cycles like those described in The Fourth Turning, and the role of technological innovation. Whether or not one agrees with the book’s broader conclusions, many of the predictions made nearly 30 years ago have largely aligned with what has unfolded since.
A pattern seems to emerge across history: humans develop a novel technology, society over-invests in it, a financial boom follows, then a collapse, then recession or depression, and ultimately geopolitical conflict. Social capital appears to rise and fall with these cycles as well. This makes intuitive sense—social capital tends to grow when people rely more heavily on one another, and it erodes as individuals and institutions become increasingly self-sufficient.
If these dynamics mirror the “four seasons” described in The Fourth Turning, the historical evidence lines up reasonably well—though, of course, past alignment doesn’t guarantee future outcomes.
Still, it feels plausible that we may be heading toward another financial disruption, potentially driven by global over-investment in AI. Such a downturn could escalate into some form of geopolitical conflict, creating conditions for a shift in global power—similar to how the United States emerged after World War II by leveraging its dominant technologies and industrial capacity.
Incredible piece. Glad I waited until I had time to savor, and contemplate your writing.
I fear for the middle class- not just the lucky remaining, although dwindling group; but those who have been pushed out and left behind.
I am not a fan of either political party- both are way less than admirable and both seem to prioritize issues and obtaining money and power, which are not helping to improve the everyday lives of the majority of our people. Our government has gotten way too big: we trusted in the institutions and they failed us.
Something better happen soon, however, because, otherwise, it absolutely seems like we are headed towards the end of America as I have known it to be. I have been to the cafe in Paris where the French Revolution was planned- so tiny- but the cafe still exists and the “grilled cheese” is pretty good there. It doesn’t seem that far fetched that we could be facing a modernized version of that.
Glad you liked it. This one turned out to be a pretty depressing read, even by my grim standards, which I suspect is behind the low comments. But it’s a quality piece. Really it is. I read it and re-read it, and I wouldn’t change anything.
You should not second guess. Your instincts are very good and nothing needs changing.
I have had some amazing and also some sad/depressing times in my life. I never forget that today is the sum total of all my previous decisions. No different than everyone else.
Thankfully, about 20 years ago, I discovered how much I love walking in the mountains.
🙂