Culturalism · Self-Improvement

When Positivity is Delusional

economiccommander2 Comments

A frequent criticism I’ve received over the years is that I’m too negative, at least when contrasted with the saucer-eyed, “Heeey guyyyz” entertainers potted about on the Internet dot com. The primary factor might be my voice, which has always been described as monotone, even when I am not trying to be, but at any rate the perception sticks, regardless of what is being discussed. I have of course made the distinction between realism and cynicism where folks accuse me of the latter, yet the chatterbirds continue shrieking, because they want something positive.

The problem is, positivity can often be a mask for real issues. The country is burning from communist-fueled riots, and our currency continues to hyperinflate, but no worries, because there is a nice Independence Day parade, and flags aplenty. There are monster video game birds to beat, and softer bird varieties to game in real life.  Pills can cure diseases, and even bring smiles to the depressed, providing we all remain upbeat and happy. Just listen to the music, and slowly mong to some Snow Patrol. It’ll be ok.

In this way the positivity gospel becomes so fanatical that any dissent is viewed with derision and seen as heresy. No matter how “positive” the intentions of the messenger might be, his interruption of the comfortable norm means he must be labeled as a depressing fatalist or misanthrope. That innocent act of pricking the lovely bubble of punchbowl ecstasy makes him marked for erasure, lest he otherwise white-out their splendid existence.

But of course unfettered positivity is dangerous, and the responsible souls must call it out. How can anyone fathom telling a man to wed a harlot, or buy a car at 18 percent APR, just because it carries a good attitude to the fore? Should you abandon the youth to become rabble merely so no one’s Mozilla-endorsed “be proud of yourself” groove is thrown off by an elderly curmudgeon?

Positivity advocates will of course respond by claiming they do not actually support such ideals, yet their actions are telling. There is only so much that self-talk, weight-lifting, and pro-energy dieting can accomplish before an individual is forced to be honest (read: a realist) and make changes that will  ruffle the feathers of that “slap you bro’s ass” crowd and their committed Wayne Newton smiles.

As for myself, I will continue to speak out, because while we may not successfully mobilize the masses, every mind pinged might just nudge another in the right direction.  The momentum could become a waterfall, then perhaps collapse into a gushing ocean. Things might just change.

And to be honest, that sounds pretty positive.

Culturalism · Relations and Dating · Self-Improvement

The Importance of Keeping a Journal

economiccommander4 Comments

“Those fateful days, robust hours, frightful minutes, all lost to the shimmering gray wall of forever.”

Not sure where that quotation came from, so we’ll just say Martin Goldberg. At any rate, it touches upon one of the most direct arguments I can make for the maintenance of a daily – if not at least every other day—written journal. This remains one of the most crucial habits you can adopt in life, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the practice is relatively uncommon.

As human beings, our capacity for long-term memory is relatively limited. Most of us cannot remember in detail a single day twenty years ago, or even one two weeks passed. It could be something to do with the monotony of everyday life, yet the realization is no less disconcerting under that lens. It is probably not a stretch to say that 97 percent of your life is a frantic blur, and that is somehow acceptable. I try to even but I simply cannot.

Think of the memories, the specifics, whether good or bad, all dashed to pieces in short order, their legacies gone before a second breath. The magnitude is an overwhelming spell of terror. What’s more, those absent slices of time make up your life.

On this very hill we must consider the value of a journal. By jotting down specific notes of what went on and who was involved, the individual crafts an enduring story which can outsmart the mind and leave imprints to be rediscovered in later days. There is no more – or certainly less—of the scrambling wonder, the attempt to recall a name or face, especially as you gaze down the churning tide of advanced age. Instead of being a stumbled and haggard crone reaching for the vanished past, you can feel the touch of scrolls, the scent of faded ink, the love of days gone by but never perished. You have the ability to return, and to revisit.

Now of course at some point you may pass on into that place beyond the stars, where few souls have gone and reported back. Yet with a journal you live on. The heart of the child, young or grown to fill difficult shoes, will look at and enter the mind of his father, feel the echoes of the time, the memory he was too small to experience. Daughters will find the wisdom of their mother, what things she loved, the joy that spoke, rich tears all cried. The legacy will be one living, from time towards a horizon eternal.

All fault of a pen touched gently to the paper.

Culturalism

The Culture of Neglect

economiccommander1 Comment

This past week I got to read through A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind, the delightful tome of a Japanese spiritualist. What struck me most about his Buddhist philosophy was the emphasis on dignity and value for all things, including the inanimate objects cluttering life. This latter approach is one less visible in Abrahamic traditions, perhaps because they tend to focus on the afterlife as opposed to the material world. Regardless, it got me thinking about how we go about living, and the relationships between individuals and their possessions.

At some point as children, we all probably mistreated a toy. Perhaps broke the arms of an action figure, or melted something down just to see it ooze. Were we all little Sids in training, or did the behavior merely reflect a lack of instilled admiration for the value of those plastic objects?  Maybe too much is made of the concept, but Shoukei Matsumoto’s book makes that and more. He evangelizes the importance of honoring everything which has served us in life, from the moment it escapes the box to the time of being laid to rest.

Beyond plastic, the viewpoint expands to other questions. How many times do people throw away food that is uneaten, or allow clothes to become rags out of sheer neglect? How often do we see working appliances or furniture chucked out on a curb because they have some blemish, or are simply not as glistening as before? They may have served long and well in some capacity, but just when usefulness seems to fade, it is like they never existed.

I thought the same about the house I am currently living in. After weeks of effort and money, the place is coming together nicely, and yet it didn’t have to be that way. Even some minor cleaning and painting—relatively cheap and time sensitive—would have mitigated the issues now slowly being dispersed. Whenever I take a ride into town, I see countless siblings remanded to the same fate: forlorn, unkempt, overgrown by ivy, and my heart weeps for them. Unremarkable structures of wood, brick, and stone, yet as I pass they seem to cry out in solemn tones: will someone please love me?

 Yet the answer is silent. Every last one of them is a casualty of consumerist melancholy, much like the items we discard because a replacement is so easy to attain. So that new candidate can enjoy the spotlight for a few months, until the same fate caterwauls destiny where many junkyards have wandered.

Here I pause and try to imagine, what if we did more with less? Suppose those food scraps all went into gardens, those fabrics turned to quilts, and those plastic soldiers received a proper funeral.

Might we have souls of peace?

Culturalism · Uncategorized

Why Ignorance Survives

economiccommander3 Comments

Over the last two months, I have been aggressively reading and note-taking in preparation for the assembly of my book on Italian Fascism. As I worked through a section last night concerning the welfare policies of the state, I was struck by something embodied in the situation: the book used as a reference was first published in 1936, and few copies are still available. To the average American reader, it practically doesn’t exist.

This issue is far more prominent than people can begin to imagine. The only reason I stumbled upon the book in the first place was my university library, which is larger and older than that of the previous college I attended. Even after that point, it was only on account of my shelling out some shekels that I secured a personal copy on AbeBooks. In many other cases, I would never have figured out how access the text because of its mystery.

And indeed the record shows truth. Prior to entering college, I wrote a piece about the Fascist policy of Corporatism, castigating it for creating poverty, and attempting linkage with the Wall Street goonism in our own country. Of course I had no idea what corporatism entailed, or how it came to be under Fascism; I simply followed the popular interpretation of libertarian louts and progressives peons. I mean, what else was there to do?

Herein rests the epic problem of our society: the sources which can change hearts are almost always unheard of, or at least locked behind the secure door of financial declarations. One rather short book I purchased for my project cost twenty-five bucks, all so I could have a couple of citations otherwise unavailable on the Internet dot com. Like the other piece, I only knew about it because I was in proximity to the right place.

Thus we are left with a situation where most people interested in knowledge have to rely on Google, which never manipulates results or suppresses what they don’t agree with. Or perhaps spit some dollars for a JSTOR subscription to access primary sources. Apart from that, it’s whatever comes up on the Bing click or the shanty offerings in your local library. As if that is all the knowledge you need.

What a scary thought. Entire generations of the mind shaped by a selective sieve of the empowered and well-meaning who run our technology and political organizations. This is the ultimate state of modern humanity, after supposed years of evolution.

I suppose I’ll get back to my research now, and hopefully at some point, remember to forget.

Culturalism · Federal Government

What Happened To Liberal Values?

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Since January 2017, we have been subjected to a deluge of hand-wringing over liberal ideas and constitutional freedoms. Such lamentations have certainly existed before, but never with the same obsessive dedication as in the age of Trump. It is almost as if people believe these principles are suddenly at stake, while under prior regimes they remained safe.

But there is one problem: they have never meant anything, or least not in the way most people think. Sure, one can cry about the Constitution and the Rule of Law, yet neither amount to much unless they are defended, unreservedly. Spectators seem to think we can somehow maintain the general concepts absent any substantial sacrifice, and in the process invalidate all which is at stake. The battle is lost in their thoughts, and thus nobody lifts a finger.

The most evident indictment on this question is that of private property. While liberalism can lay claim to allowing a certain degree of social barbarism in the name of free expression, its adherents have no place to flee on the matter of individual sovereignty over possessions. America was founded largely on this basis, with our Constitution borrowing heavily from the writings of John Locke, perhaps the greatest advocate of property rights known in the Western world. In his own words:

“Every man has a property in his own person.  This nobody has any right to but himself.  The labor of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his.”

The very notion of being able to own something without threat of feudalistic seizure by some petty monarch has become sacrosanct in the broader liberal world, despite attempts to erode through acts such as eminent domain. Crimes of trespassing are still regularly enforced, and theft is considered a serious crime in most jurisdictions.

Until now. For all that the liberal republican system has promised to safeguard rights, the riots and looting of the last several weeks shows its agnostic opinion of self. Businesses or cars immolate and merchandise streams from the shelves unpaid, as scarcely soft murmurs escape the lips of the liberty-promoters. Police cannot respond, soldiers are warned against reacting, and politicians condemned for trying to bring order. Yet somehow, we are still implored to believe in the existence of these principles.

Even anti-skeptics must admit it is nearly impossible. The very essence of liberal religiosity requires that people can live without fear of losing their “pursuit of happiness” to the enraged mob of our current year, and edgy suspicion grows every day, with atheistic reactions not far behind. A spiritual awakening seems necessary to stem the tide, if only it can come. Of course such a development requires the will to act, and the liberal order has not anything close.

So softly the Republic burns.

Culturalism

Nothing Is Off Limits

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“They’ve ruined my childhood” is usually employed by people lamenting some questionable film remake, or a bizarre caricature of the same. In my case, it applies to something a little different: the organization that shaped much of who I am. Is that too dramatic? Perhaps, but I will claim personal privilege on the issue.   

I spent six years in the Boy Scouts. During this time, I completed 28 merit badges and held the positions of Instructor, Troop Guide, Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. I further planned, coordinated, and built a substantial community project to fulfill the rank of Eagle Scout. Since leaving, I have also helped with other Eagle projects, because I believe in the value of giving back to the next generation, as older scouts did for me.

In other words, I grew up in the organization, and the experience shaped much of my outlook on the world. The values of respect for oneself and others, reverence to God, and support for social order all proved invaluable to the mind, and I continue to benefit from that foundation as an adult. For the longest time, I anticipated enrolling my future son in the same program to mold him into a better man.  

But not anymore. Over the last several years, the organization has undergone a pathetic slide towards abject depravity. After years of being targeted by petty political lawsuits, the BSA caved in 2017 and permitted open homosexuals to join. Then came the women, who for some reason were not satisfied by access to the Girl Scouts. Finally, the name was changed to reflect their progressive shift, removing “boy” from the title.

As it turns out, there will be more wonders baked into the crust. Following the riots and looting conducted by AntiFrocio and Bowel Movements Matter, the Scouts decided to endorse social anarchy by introducing a mandatory  “Diversity and Inclusion” merit badge. Yes, that’s correct. Young men need to learn Marxist Critical Theory to properly enter adulthood. What might come next, a requirement that all whites apologize and give up their tents to minorities? Could well occur.

What baffles me about it all is that I cannot recall a single instance of “racism” or even “homophobia” during my tenure in the organization. If anything was overbearing, it was the intense religiosity of certain scoutmasters, but even that failed to prevent the experience from being worthwhile. At any rate, learning to respect God is far less damaging than being regaled by a low-aptitude fool about the original sin of whiteness.

Or maybe that is simply my opinion, but it’s a damn good one. The only reason the Plural Left targeted the BSA is because they recognized its mission as a threat. Raising up boys to become men and honor their country as opposed to feminism and godlessness? That’s a BIG problem, and there’s a Karen for it. They actually need to be learning about gay sex practices and reparations, because the current year.

How I wish time travel was real.   

#VanLife · investing · Personal Finance

It’s Impossible To Have Enough

economiccommander1 Comment

“The more you have, the more you want.”

At some point all of us have heard this adage about life. If you go out and accumulate things, you’ll simply lust after more, and it becomes a sordid spiral of avarice from there forward. Human greed is never satisfied, but rather throbs and expands with each passing hour.

That may be true, but a lot of what others perceive you to be greedily collecting could well be a necessity forced by circumstance. Stop and reckon for a minute: when buying something new or expensive, is the motivation typically driven by sheer covetousness, or did a milestone of existence suddenly spoil the party? They’re far more common than one might believe, and often unavoidable.

To put it in perspective, when I practiced van life full-time, most of my purchases related to food or some gadget to correct issues with my living space. These included battery-operated fans to beat back the sauna regime, seat-mounted storage compartments, and inflatable mats to spare my back. Sure, I could have gone without them, but the decision seemed sound from a quality of life standpoint.  Without a doubt however, I did need less.

Fast forward about a year, and I purchased a house. I didn’t need one, but as an investment the idea felt decent. Of course a house requires repairs and improvements, with some arising long after you sign the contract and move in. These might be little things, like additional motion lights for safety, or a fresh coat of paint on the porch. Again, I could wing it without, but that opens the possibility of long-term decay or injury.

Recently I have also been exploring the possibility of buying a second car. Some would immediately relegate this to crude consumerist desire, but living further away from a backup vehicle means the risk of getting stranded without a ride – and possibly catching an employer reprimand. Bear in mind that the last time my car went bad it took over a week to have the repairs made, perhaps in part because things went south over Christmas. My alternative in that case was a single cab truck, so you can imagine how napping felt in there.

The underlying point is that lifestyle spurs wants or needs, not rampant greed alone. While frugality is a virtue, depending on how a person lives they could very well be a huge consumer and have little choice in the matter. After all, that beaten up Taurus you bought from an old farmer is hardly some testament to personal vanity; it just runs well enough to move you from Point A to the restaurant at the end of the universe.

Sometimes greed just solves problems.  

investing · Personal Finance

Why Metro Real Estate Is Risky

economiccommander1 Comment

Several days back I stumbled across the following Twitter post:

https://twitter.com/comparethemedia/status/1271529015095046146

It’s hard to gauge how significant these numbers are, but one might reasonably conclude they are high in the neighborhoods directly or tangentially targeted by looters over the past two weeks. Keep in mind that crime is already a big issue in the city, and fresh plans to dismantle the police department might not exactly endear folks to the prospect of a safe living state.

This helps explain the danger of property investing within any major metropolitan sprawl. While it is possible to see prices skyrocket due to gentrification or opportunity expansion, there is also the risk that the historically butthurt and irritated will use any viral video as justification to run rampant around the block. The homeowner also stands to pay sweetly in the insurance department, and might need to fight with their policy provider depending on what caveats are built into the offering.

Of course the empowered and metrosexual could argue that other places will keep their police forces, thus reducing the risk to homeowners. Fair enough, but take a look right here:

Badges, guns, and pleasant indifference. Can you really blame them though?

investing · Personal Finance

My Investment Arsenal

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A few folks have requested to see my approach to investing in more detail, so I decided to conjure up the following post. It obviously features a level of diversification, but more in style than substance. I see investments as both ways to grow money and also explore different concepts, so at times certain targets are selected more for interest than practicality.

Stock Accounts

1. Individual Account (Taxable)

This houses the bulk of my investing money, at times to great annoyance. The biggest upside is easy movement of funds If I need to do something important in the short-term, but the negative surrounds tax policy requiring me to hold longer than I would prefer in some cases.

2. Individual Robo-Managed Account (Taxable)

I got this to take some weight off my shoulders on a weekly basis. My broker service offers different plans optimized for taxes, conservative wealth strategies, or growth, and I place a small amount in each month with minimal overhead where management fees are concerned.

3. Roth IRA (Non-Taxable)

Probably the best place to store your investment holdings for the long run. The money goes in post-tax, but then grows without penalty until you’re older, providing no early withdrawals have been made. I do my best to max this out each year, though I fell short a few years back, and more recently got penalized by the IRS for contributing too much based on my salary.

4. Employer 401k

While I am not a fan of 401k programs, I started putting in 5 percent this year (pre-tax) because my income was creating expensive charges when tax filing rolled around. I made sure to pick the lowest fees for my funds, and generally don’t pay much attention to it other than the occasional checkup.

Fixed Income Sources

1. Savings Account

One can shop around, but I use the decently-high option from my broker service. This account yields a little over 1 percent and is effectively an airlock for money that will journey to any of the first three accounts mentioned.

2. Lending Club

This is more of a novelty than anything else to me. The site allows participants to purchase loans and get paid interest, providing you meet specific income standards. I tossed a grand in at the beginning of the year, focused on two different lines of credit. Probably should check it more frequently, but they don’t come due until a few years from now.

Real Estate

1. Fundrise

Not sure this goes here exactly, but I started with the REIT broker last year, and have enjoyed their products thus far. They offer different portfolios depending on your priorities, but I mostly bought in to take advantage of the projected growth in Midwestern city redevelopment. Biggest downside is receiving multiple forms to enter for taxes, which can create a problem if your software (*cough H&R Block*) doesn’t recognize small dividend amounts. That becomes a non-issue after you have been with them a while, however.

2. Physical Real Estate

As some of you know, I purchased a house earlier this year. Thus far it has required time and pennies, but the goal is to have at least half the mortgage paid by renters, and possibly as much as 100 percent. It also gives me the space to start a new business venture I have been planning for some months now. We’ll see whether I was smart to buy or not in the years to come.

Alternate Hedges

1. Cryptocurrency (Coinbase)

I’ve been nibbling on Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, XRP, and even 0x for a while now. Can’t say any of them have done spectacularly well, or at least not long enough for me to react. I keep adding despite Coinbase’s obnoxious fees because we can never know what will happen to fiat currency in the future.

 2. Precious Metals

I continue to accrue silver whenever possible. A key thing to consider is WHERE you are purchasing it. Going to a pawn shop or metals joint can lead to astronomically higher prices with no chance of a refund. Make sure to Google the value of whatever you choose to buy, and check online retailers to ensure there is no extreme markup.