Though I am absolutely not a fan of Ayn Rand, I do find her allusion to the makers and takers as outlined in 'Atlas Shrugged' a portent for today. Just Substitute China = Maker and US = Taker and bingo, you have the reality on the playing field.
436645 - I love how you cut to the chase about our world; our twisting of creativity versus consumption. For such a young person, you are such a world-thinker. I congratulate you for your wonderful analysis of the Barnum and Baily Circus that has evolved here.
The Republicans would argue that businesses are going to lead the American revolution and keep American dominance. They just say they're getting out of the way. Obviously, that's a bunch of baloney... But I was constantly thinking about their argument as I was reading through your post.
The actual businesses of America are not going to go down without a fight. And they're getting more preferential treatment so I'm not so worried about that aspect of America's place on the global stage. The continued challenge, as I see it, is the confusion about what makes a business successful (its employees, not its investors). I wish at least that the Republicans would push for the sorts of reforms that make EEs "owners".
---
I have so many other thoughts after reading your piece but I'll keep it to this single one (at least for now).
It's weaker than it was in the pension days. It should be stronger. EEs are only investors in the Tech industry, Wealth MGMT industry, and a few others. ESOPs should be the only companies that get corporate tax relief. There are many common sense reforms that could be implemented that bring value aggregation down to 3-5x EE salary rather than 10-25x EE salary. Investor risk does NOT justify 25x EE salary. Not even 10x. Gotta be reasonable.
Greetings from Alberta, Canada : ) Love your style & messages.... and your insta videos have even captured the attention of my teen kids (it feels like a war for attention).
I agree to all points, for a change. :) But it's not the fault of this government, or the previous ones, that things are the way they are. It is the fault of the ideology that drives both society and government, and ideologies are not changed. They only die when stopped by a roadblock.
The most depressing part about reading this is seeing the problem and then knowing that there's no way Americans will collectively make the hard decisions to slow the current trend, let alone reverse it.
This is easy choices = hard life and hard choices = easy life at the nation state level.
It’s complex. I can tell you what I think would work, but it involves considerable pain, with such things as standing up to ICE etc. Conservative rhetoric flourishes when there is no draft, and military are volunteers. During Vietnam an 18 year old guy could go to college or war. Even if there had been internet/cable in ‘68 there would have been no chance for the MAGA-type rhetoric to hold. I’ve always said: if you institute a draft, but allow anyone to declare conscientious objector status, with the provision that they automatically become a CO party member restricted to a firm no on all things military, the GOP that we know could not exist
This is somewhat of an ahistorical take I think. The Vietnam draft disproportionately drew in working class Americans while sparing the rich. It was not an equalizer or a way to bind Americans together, as I think you suggest. It was a socially and politically divisive event that also foreshadowed the widening gap between rich and poor that would define the U.S. for the next 50+ years.
We could expect much the same today: If we had a draft now, for example, the people who would object and opt out would be people for whom the opportunity cost of joining the military is higher — people of means who wish to go to college and have lots of high-paying private sector career options. By contrast, the people who’d go along with a draft would probably be lower income Americans who can’t afford college or who otherwise have fewer lucrative private sector career paths open to them.
Also, I would say that now is an ideal time to start thinking about this kind of reform. A lot of able bodied men sign up for ICE who could be doing basic training right now instead. If things heat up in Iran it could be a beta test for what percentage would “defect”. They’d be payed better, if it were up to me, but have to do a bit more than beat up Latino grandmas in a laundry mat. Obviously none of this could happen with the current admin in place. Military activity in Iran will continue to be undeclared etc. and unless a major event occurs there will likely never be a congressionally approved war. The point of a draft is simply to instill in people the reality of war directly, before they vote, and give the ‘ICE’ crowd an opportunity to become authentic about themselves and their country
There would be no opting out except by declaring CO status, and this would automatically restrict your political affiliation. The Rush Limbaugh style war-wimps of the 80s and 90s would have been impossible because people like him would not have been able to avoid Vietnam by anything except declaring CO status. Limbaugh was fully on board with Vietnam except for the fighting in it part (deferment for a cyst I believe) making him a war-wimp. The system would require more parliamentary type government and it would allow anyone to declare CO status, but also to change back. War would have to be declared by congress for inscription to turn into a draft
I like the article, and the building-extraction framing is good, but unsure that attention is the right way into this.
1) TikTok is Chinese and attention reducing slop is as much of a factor there as US, would be my guess.
2) CCP had incentive to keep growth sustainable. Revolution much more costly than lost election.
3) US incentives for extraction a part of its us v them inner split, as you mention. But this goes back to before any real attention harvesting by internet companies. (Media companies on other hand).
I think culturally there have been some shifts, particularly in America, that have contributed to the economic state we now live in, and I think it helps inform a way forward.
Liberals in The West (largely the US) have worked to dismantle social institutions that prevented us from realizing a more equitable society. This was necessary, and largely a good movement, towards realizing an even broader vision of liberty and inclusion for this country.
However, what did not happen- and we are now suffering for this consequence - is an equal or even greater effort in creating secular alternatives for those institutions we tore down. Institutions that offered the very structures needed to maintain the kind of strong communities needed to combat this fragmentation. The village, the extended family, rural communities, churches, gender norms, etc. We’ve dismantled but didn’t rebuild, and in that vacuum what we’ve seen and will continue to see is many flocking back to the groups and institutions that still offer some kind of that lost structure, however bigoted they might be, however misinformed, because the alternative is loneliness, and lack of a cohesive community, and what worse fate for such social creatures as we are.
I hate top be snarky here, but it's hard to find an alternative Trump since the Dems are so utterly repellant to men right now. You can try promoting the abundance agenda, but since men feel so alienated right now, the only other alternative right now is Catholicism.
I'm sorry to say this but I'm getting close to unsubbing right now. I don't think we're going to see eye to eye. I've been going back and forth from unsubbing for quite awhile and I'm getting pretty close.
Also: dont't look up the allegations surrounding David Foster Wallace. You will be very disappointed on what he's done with his personal life.
"the only other alternative right now is Catholicism."
It's not clear how you're defining or constraining "alternative", but recent data implies Eastern Orthodoxy, rather than Catholicism, is where many disaffected right wing males are flocking.
Re memes, LLMs can be viewed as the ultimate meme machine. "This, I would argue, is the true AI doomsday scenario — not killer robots or rogue super-intelligence, but something far more banal and entropic. A dwindling human population, marching toward extinction, having spent the last of its energy and ingenuity building fully autonomous data centers to house the replicators that replaced it. Not because we lost control, but because we never had it."
"while the antimemes that might actually solve our problems like “how to build industrial policy that works” or “how to design monetary systems for multipolarity” remain confined to small networks of specialists."
I do have a question about this quote that I believe could have different answers for different beliefs. I have heard the argument, agreeing and disagreeing, the idea that not everyone is supposed to be asking questions like this. Throughout most of history, questions that guided nations, technology, and culture were facilitated by specialists. I've heard the argument from some that most people should not worry about "how to build industrial policy" or "how to design monetary systems", as not everyone is 'built' for such questions.
Would a meme like "building industrial policy" really spread through the psyche of Americans? I feel for these questions to spread, many Americans would need a underlying understanding of 1. the industrial world and how it works 2. how state infrastructure operates in relation to the global market. I would say these are two heavy questions that can't easily be conversed about.
That's where I would like to ask you a question, if I may? Is there a belief that, through education (I would assume), we can teach humans to have the capacity to process deeper questions like that. I would say that I am a fairly educated human, but I don't have any answers for those questions. Is it possible to rework our curriculum to where we ask more of these questions, or are humans meant to be more specialized?
Incredible how refreshing and insightful Kyla is in all of her posts.
I would love to hear more on how we educate— especially K-12. AI is coming whether it’s good or bad, so I think education should shift more towards building skills that AI can’t do for us, and use AI as a tool for improving those skills. More oral exams, more public speaking and argumentation (analytic philosophy).
Though I am absolutely not a fan of Ayn Rand, I do find her allusion to the makers and takers as outlined in 'Atlas Shrugged' a portent for today. Just Substitute China = Maker and US = Taker and bingo, you have the reality on the playing field.
BTW Kyla, great post!
thank you!
436645 - I love how you cut to the chase about our world; our twisting of creativity versus consumption. For such a young person, you are such a world-thinker. I congratulate you for your wonderful analysis of the Barnum and Baily Circus that has evolved here.
thank you!
The Republicans would argue that businesses are going to lead the American revolution and keep American dominance. They just say they're getting out of the way. Obviously, that's a bunch of baloney... But I was constantly thinking about their argument as I was reading through your post.
The actual businesses of America are not going to go down without a fight. And they're getting more preferential treatment so I'm not so worried about that aspect of America's place on the global stage. The continued challenge, as I see it, is the confusion about what makes a business successful (its employees, not its investors). I wish at least that the Republicans would push for the sorts of reforms that make EEs "owners".
---
I have so many other thoughts after reading your piece but I'll keep it to this single one (at least for now).
that's a fantastic way to frame it
Reducing taxes and making government smaller is a great start. Profit sharing and 401Ks have been around since 1978. The employees are investors.
It's weaker than it was in the pension days. It should be stronger. EEs are only investors in the Tech industry, Wealth MGMT industry, and a few others. ESOPs should be the only companies that get corporate tax relief. There are many common sense reforms that could be implemented that bring value aggregation down to 3-5x EE salary rather than 10-25x EE salary. Investor risk does NOT justify 25x EE salary. Not even 10x. Gotta be reasonable.
Greetings from Alberta, Canada : ) Love your style & messages.... and your insta videos have even captured the attention of my teen kids (it feels like a war for attention).
So keep up the good work! Miigwetch.
thank you! glad it's resonating :)
I agree to all points, for a change. :) But it's not the fault of this government, or the previous ones, that things are the way they are. It is the fault of the ideology that drives both society and government, and ideologies are not changed. They only die when stopped by a roadblock.
Outstanding. Thank you.
This is totally right.
The most depressing part about reading this is seeing the problem and then knowing that there's no way Americans will collectively make the hard decisions to slow the current trend, let alone reverse it.
This is easy choices = hard life and hard choices = easy life at the nation state level.
"Nations do behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” Abba Eban (misattributed to Churchill)
The fixation with phony masculinity has to be addressed, or nothing will change.
how do you think we address it?
It’s complex. I can tell you what I think would work, but it involves considerable pain, with such things as standing up to ICE etc. Conservative rhetoric flourishes when there is no draft, and military are volunteers. During Vietnam an 18 year old guy could go to college or war. Even if there had been internet/cable in ‘68 there would have been no chance for the MAGA-type rhetoric to hold. I’ve always said: if you institute a draft, but allow anyone to declare conscientious objector status, with the provision that they automatically become a CO party member restricted to a firm no on all things military, the GOP that we know could not exist
This is somewhat of an ahistorical take I think. The Vietnam draft disproportionately drew in working class Americans while sparing the rich. It was not an equalizer or a way to bind Americans together, as I think you suggest. It was a socially and politically divisive event that also foreshadowed the widening gap between rich and poor that would define the U.S. for the next 50+ years.
We could expect much the same today: If we had a draft now, for example, the people who would object and opt out would be people for whom the opportunity cost of joining the military is higher — people of means who wish to go to college and have lots of high-paying private sector career options. By contrast, the people who’d go along with a draft would probably be lower income Americans who can’t afford college or who otherwise have fewer lucrative private sector career paths open to them.
Also, I would say that now is an ideal time to start thinking about this kind of reform. A lot of able bodied men sign up for ICE who could be doing basic training right now instead. If things heat up in Iran it could be a beta test for what percentage would “defect”. They’d be payed better, if it were up to me, but have to do a bit more than beat up Latino grandmas in a laundry mat. Obviously none of this could happen with the current admin in place. Military activity in Iran will continue to be undeclared etc. and unless a major event occurs there will likely never be a congressionally approved war. The point of a draft is simply to instill in people the reality of war directly, before they vote, and give the ‘ICE’ crowd an opportunity to become authentic about themselves and their country
There would be no opting out except by declaring CO status, and this would automatically restrict your political affiliation. The Rush Limbaugh style war-wimps of the 80s and 90s would have been impossible because people like him would not have been able to avoid Vietnam by anything except declaring CO status. Limbaugh was fully on board with Vietnam except for the fighting in it part (deferment for a cyst I believe) making him a war-wimp. The system would require more parliamentary type government and it would allow anyone to declare CO status, but also to change back. War would have to be declared by congress for inscription to turn into a draft
I like the article, and the building-extraction framing is good, but unsure that attention is the right way into this.
1) TikTok is Chinese and attention reducing slop is as much of a factor there as US, would be my guess.
2) CCP had incentive to keep growth sustainable. Revolution much more costly than lost election.
3) US incentives for extraction a part of its us v them inner split, as you mention. But this goes back to before any real attention harvesting by internet companies. (Media companies on other hand).
Anyway, thanks for thought provoking read.
Thanks for your work and insight Kyla!
I think culturally there have been some shifts, particularly in America, that have contributed to the economic state we now live in, and I think it helps inform a way forward.
Liberals in The West (largely the US) have worked to dismantle social institutions that prevented us from realizing a more equitable society. This was necessary, and largely a good movement, towards realizing an even broader vision of liberty and inclusion for this country.
However, what did not happen- and we are now suffering for this consequence - is an equal or even greater effort in creating secular alternatives for those institutions we tore down. Institutions that offered the very structures needed to maintain the kind of strong communities needed to combat this fragmentation. The village, the extended family, rural communities, churches, gender norms, etc. We’ve dismantled but didn’t rebuild, and in that vacuum what we’ve seen and will continue to see is many flocking back to the groups and institutions that still offer some kind of that lost structure, however bigoted they might be, however misinformed, because the alternative is loneliness, and lack of a cohesive community, and what worse fate for such social creatures as we are.
I hate top be snarky here, but it's hard to find an alternative Trump since the Dems are so utterly repellant to men right now. You can try promoting the abundance agenda, but since men feel so alienated right now, the only other alternative right now is Catholicism.
I'm sorry to say this but I'm getting close to unsubbing right now. I don't think we're going to see eye to eye. I've been going back and forth from unsubbing for quite awhile and I'm getting pretty close.
Also: dont't look up the allegations surrounding David Foster Wallace. You will be very disappointed on what he's done with his personal life.
Well thanks for being here for the time being!
Religious indoctrination is one of the reasons for this entire mess.
"the only other alternative right now is Catholicism."
It's not clear how you're defining or constraining "alternative", but recent data implies Eastern Orthodoxy, rather than Catholicism, is where many disaffected right wing males are flocking.
That’s the silliest goddam reply I’ve seen. Kudos to Kyla for not saying, don’t let the door hit ya. Stop whining. JFC
I'm a man, and not at all repelled by Dems. It is Trump and Maga I find absolutely repugnant.
Would leave thumbs up emoji but I think that might be part of the problem :) Great post
What are the chances that the US manages to get this act together and start properly laying foundations for a prosperous future?
Re memes, LLMs can be viewed as the ultimate meme machine. "This, I would argue, is the true AI doomsday scenario — not killer robots or rogue super-intelligence, but something far more banal and entropic. A dwindling human population, marching toward extinction, having spent the last of its energy and ingenuity building fully autonomous data centers to house the replicators that replaced it. Not because we lost control, but because we never had it."
https://sphelps.substack.com/p/from-genomes-to-memomes?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2o7vzx&triedRedirect=true
"while the antimemes that might actually solve our problems like “how to build industrial policy that works” or “how to design monetary systems for multipolarity” remain confined to small networks of specialists."
I do have a question about this quote that I believe could have different answers for different beliefs. I have heard the argument, agreeing and disagreeing, the idea that not everyone is supposed to be asking questions like this. Throughout most of history, questions that guided nations, technology, and culture were facilitated by specialists. I've heard the argument from some that most people should not worry about "how to build industrial policy" or "how to design monetary systems", as not everyone is 'built' for such questions.
Would a meme like "building industrial policy" really spread through the psyche of Americans? I feel for these questions to spread, many Americans would need a underlying understanding of 1. the industrial world and how it works 2. how state infrastructure operates in relation to the global market. I would say these are two heavy questions that can't easily be conversed about.
That's where I would like to ask you a question, if I may? Is there a belief that, through education (I would assume), we can teach humans to have the capacity to process deeper questions like that. I would say that I am a fairly educated human, but I don't have any answers for those questions. Is it possible to rework our curriculum to where we ask more of these questions, or are humans meant to be more specialized?
Incredible how refreshing and insightful Kyla is in all of her posts.
I would love to hear more on how we educate— especially K-12. AI is coming whether it’s good or bad, so I think education should shift more towards building skills that AI can’t do for us, and use AI as a tool for improving those skills. More oral exams, more public speaking and argumentation (analytic philosophy).
Anywho would love your thoughts on a future post!