Oh man... I'm turning 60 in about a week and so I've had a ringside seat at the "arena of the decline." I still remember when manners, courtesy and kindness actually mattered. We were never allowed to leave the house looking like a scumbag. "Everyday" clothes were for wearing at home and doing chores, not going out in public. We always (and I still do) dressed decently to fly or take the train somewhere. Getting tattoos was for cons and fat bikers and was *not* acceptable (and as far as I'm concerned, still isn't... if someone can't show who they are by the way they live their lives, I sure as hell don't want to read about who they are on the outside of their bodies depicted as so-called "art") Pierced ears were for women, not little girls and certainly not men. Being 300 pounds overweight was not considered brave and stunning, it was a sign of someone who couldn't control themselves and was not eating properly. I mean... I could go on and on. But I'm called one of those pesky "boomers" even though I've been screaming about liberty my whole life. Something else that people just don't get (and as a "libertarian" leaning person get resistance for) is that a society cannot and will not ever have liberty and freedom if they cannot live by any kind of standards for a successful society. It just doesn't work. If "anything goes" in a society, eventually "everything goes" because a society that cannot control themselves sets themselves up to be controlled. It's just a fact. Great post. Oh, and my Dad was "black pilled" long before that was a thing. He always told people (as do I), "I'm not negative... I'm a *realist*." Thanks for letting us freeloaders read the post. :)
"We were never allowed to leave the house looking like a scumbag." Haha. Ahh the days when mom would stop you at the door and make you tuck your shirt in or button your collar. It's fascinating to watch the cultural cycle come full circle. The whole thing might be a product of liberty. Maximum liberty (in a consumer society) births hyper individualism and "counter cultures" which must manifest through greater and greater grotesque extremes until simple, clean, respectable attire and presentation becomes the new counter culture. The cycle from the 1960s to the present though, at least last century bounced within a spectrum (mod to rock to punk to preppy to grunge etc) until recently when it may have all collapsed into one indistinguishable mess of nothingness where we arrive at your brilliant point (that I might steal one day): "A society that cannot control themselves sets themselves up to be controlled."
This is one of the best posts I've ever read on Substack. Thanks for allowing us all to read this magnificent story. It really touched me because I long for the Golden Era of America when I was fortunate enough to grow up as a youngster, child, teenager and adult. Those were the best of times because people cared for things they don't care for at all now. It's all due to the decline of civilization which will ultimately be the demise of the American Empire. It's so sad to see America in the condition it is today. But it was all by design by those who control all the power, wealth and knowledge. The glory days are long behind us. 😥
I give this Stack a 1st Place prize for epic storytelling. 🥇👏
Thanks James. Having been in the states for a few months this spring and summer, the longest spell since 2006, I sensed this ominous feeling in people I'd met. More so in Arizona than Portland, of course.
I came right after you. I'm part of the first year of Gen X, born in '65, so I'll be 59 in April. I can't agree enough with what you're saying. I was brought up that was as well. Probably "boomer" vs "gen x" is not really a good measure as what values were in the family. My parents were born in the 40s.
I lived the best years of my life during the "Stabilization Period" described in the article. I feel not just lucky but even blessed compared to the absolute shit that people call their lives these days.
It was so wonderful but even still, I long for the era of the 40's. I am fascinated by it. By the music, by the class, by the much better in character people that were common. If I could go back in time, I would turn 18 on VE day, so that I could have lived my heyday starting in 1945 on the very close of WW2.
I look at all of this insanity and feel as though most people have lost their minds. Tattoos... yes, just as you have said but what people do these days looks like skin disease. It's disgusting. I'm not the most fit but I will never surrender to the degree that most people have already done. I might not be the classiest dressing person but you will never find me wearing pajamas in public, etc.
It sad that it has gone so far but, since it has, it has to break and it has to end. It's utterly digusting and I'll never be OK with what all of this has become.
Aug 28, 2023·edited Aug 28, 2023Liked by Good Citizen
Amen, Rob. I'm 63 and have been complaining about this for years, always ending with: " Why would anyone want to make themselves look uglier than they already do"...and one of my friends always answers: "They think they look good and that we look ugly."
I HATE tattoos. They look like a brand on a heifer...and heifer is the operative word here. Weak-minded people follow stupid trends. I've been called "negative" for years, and I always answer the same as your dad.
For about the last five years I have been playing game to deal with the tidium of grocery shopping. I count anyone in the store not wearing black, spandex or denim. I rarely make it to one, and it is invariably a foreigner. What is this thing about wearing black ALL the time? I don't even own any black clothing. An old man standing next to me in line recently made a snide remark about an obese woman, covered in piercings and tattoos in front of me. I told him it often felt to me like everyone was on their way to a funeral. When one watches old movies (fifties, sixties...the only movies I watch) the riot of colorful clothing jumps out at you. Colored clothing used to only be worn by the rich, because dye was so expensive. Now when anyone can afford to wear beautiful colors, people opt for black???
Happy Birthday Rob! I’ll be 60 in October. Did you read my mind?! You are 100%. I was raised the same way. And I had Catholic school for 12 years. Lol!
I'm with you. I turn 62 this week. I have witnessed this country turn to shit... the whole while I am screaming at the top if my lungs to wake up.
I had a graduating highschool class of a whopping 63 people, 2 very nice, sweet, black girls with zero queen attitude.We had one girl slightly overweight and she heard about it often, until the shaming caused her to lose the weight and now she is a very fit 62 year old.
No body had tats or rings anywhere except an ear (and a guy was a faggot if they had one).
Was that era better than today. Yes. A thousand times better and I am sorry that the younger ones missed out and now have to deal with this sickening display we see now.
It is idiotic to call me a "Boomer" when I have fought the fight my entire life, moreso than most of people today.
Boomer should be a compliment. The generational antagonisms are just another mode of fomenting division so nobody ever bands together to cut the head off the snake.
I HATE pajama days at school...... the kids and teachers all get in on the conformity.....I never have worn pajamas on those days.....I also don't particiapte in pink shirt day, orange shirt day, etc...I always remind the teachers that we are here to educate not indocrinate.....I will be fired soon.....
Now? No, it's been for YEARS.....I HATE it..... and then when I ask the kids about it they tell me that they love it because they roll out of bed and come to school!!!!! I am trying to explain that they should be putting on CLEAN pjs for the day....OMFG!!!! No one knows my pain and misery...... they are even allowed to bring STUFFIES...even the older grades......I just CAN'T.... we look like effin' morons..... how can you take the principals seriously when they are parading in their effin jammies???????? 🤡
Interesting way to make the point: that rather large segment of society won't really notice its new form incarceration or rather it will most gladly accept it.
-lots of people are depressed. Depressed people aren't likely to care about their appearance.
-lots of people are on a variety of drugs. The drugs make us sicker. So we are obese and depressed and not getting any better. So we don't care about looking good.
-if you're female, it's really hard to find attractive clothes at a reasonable price. Ugly colors in designs that make you look bad? Lots of that around. Nice clothes at a good price? Not so much.
There is something else going on too; it might be related to the depression issue. I've found that people rarely complement each other if they look nice. So... if you're treated the same way for wearing sweats and a t-shirt as opposed to a suit, why bother? There is no external incentive.
I *suspect* the ugly clothes for women is part of a demoralization effort by... IDK, the government via Blackrock via Big Clothes? Aka "you'll sell the women ugly clothes because we want them to feel bad about themselves, and if you don't, no loans for you."
Some fair points shibumi. A few additions if I may on the first two...weaponized psychology and psychiatry have completely over diagnosed depression so they can pill push for their masters. Most people hear an "expert" that they trust but shouldn't say they're depressed and they assume the role of a depressed person even though they never were. The drugs then induce some depression and a whole host of other neuro ailments per the model of western "medicine" and they never get the proper guidance they need. In most cases simple things like sleep, exercise, hot/cold therapy, or even just talking would have cured them. Instead they are trapped inside the revolving door of psych appointments, drugs, and assumed role of victim. Make victimhood a source of social capital, as with younger generations and they will seek out mental health problems for self identification. Multiply this by tens of millions and you have an incapacitated and helpless population.
Victimhood sure walks on stilts these days, nigh fully embraced. Big Pharma here is a huge enabler; it makes the job of censorship (aka counter-mis/dis/mal-information) industrial complex all the more easy 😟
💬 The Empire must turn its power inward, on managing the perceptions of its subjects so the illusion of its might is maintained in their minds.
Fiat News Dashboard helpfully vivisects a ‘delicate but potent’ recipe how to bake this deceptively delicious cake --> epsilontheory.com/fiat-dashboard 🔥👌 Ingredients galore.
I too blame entities like Blackrock and Vanguard and government in general. But ultimately it's a spiritual battle. What we're witnessing is the result of moral decay across the board.
Though I certainly agree with you in part, my Grandmother always preached to us, "you may be poor, but you don't have to be dirty!" And, "If you're depressed, snap out of it!" If someone is overweight or feels like they are homely for whatever reason, they certainly don't have to wear a 10$ spandex leo and a tank top. Heck, a 5$ XXXL T-Shirt and a pair of decent fitting shorts would be better than that. Haha. But again, I get what you're saying.
“I've found that people rarely complement each other if they look nice.”
As a man, I note that complimenting a woman for “looking nice,” especially in the workplace, is now a cultural minefield. If you want to keep your job it’s better to keep your compliments to yourself.
I expect tacit or active derision from my family and friends. I already know they love me; consequently jokes are in order.
If one can't receive compliments gracefully from a colleague or a stranger, what's the point of putting oneself together? This is, I think, much to both Good Citizen's point and yours.
Historically societies at this level of decadence would be conquered by stronger, saner neighbors, or there would be an internal revolution, but there is no one on the horizon either internally or externally who seems like it can challenge globohomo's hegemony. Therefore, it seems like this process of decadence and decay will only get worse: https://neofeudalreview.substack.com/p/prepare-to-be-cast-into-the-thunderdome
Russia is controlled by the Rothschild and allies central bank owners as well, and so are the BRICS so any movement toward a multi-polar world is just putting lipstick on the pig, imo...
Agreed. On the NWO front there is no difference between BRICS and the "rules based" ass wipes of the neoliberal death cult. Culturally however, people aren't going quietly into the night. In serbia they march against the Rainbow groomer cult. Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, rural Czechia, Croatia, are still difficult frontiers for Globohomo to gain a stronghold. The rise of reactionary cultural sentiments even in nordic countries, France, Spain, and Italy are finally manifesting politically. But yes, the multi-polar charade to manifest divisions appears to be just that.
Given that Colt had suffered under corporate mismanagement for decades and that CZ has a long history of bringing high-quality products to market at a fair price, I am pleased with this turn of events. As the (German) band The Scorpions sang, “Wind of Change.”
I mean, that's what we have currently. Something like 25% of the economy is the financial sector when it used to be, a generation ago, 2%. But that is oligarchy, the splintering of power into various fiefdoms, and oligarchy is terrible for the common man. Only the centralization of power into a King, Emperor or dictator has the ability to control the oligarchs, but our society is set up primarily to prevent such a power centralization. Hence, the expectation that things will get much worse...
Aug 28, 2023·edited Aug 28, 2023Liked by Good Citizen
My father, who would have been 98 now, used to lament the way men and women used to dress, especially in big cities. "In SF, every single woman wore a dress, heels and hat when walking down the street (including up those crazy hills) and all the men wore suits and hats. The way people dress now is deplorable!" I used to roll my eyes at his nostalgia but now I see that it was a ratcheting down into 3rd world looks over the last few decades.
This morning I read yet another startling article about the massive shortage of pilots --how "federal agencies" are now doing deep dives into pilots' medical histories and finding out that they have violated FAA requirements that pilots self-report all medical conditions, including any psychiatric care (what does this mean? Prozac, marriage counseling, grief counseling?) and terminating pilots for failure to report. Is it me, or is eradicating the airlines of all pilots from all angles an actual agenda? Flight cancellations, riots on planes, excessive costs--all roads lead to no more flights for the plebes.
It appears to be part of the agenda 30 enslavement plan. Air travel may return to a niche luxury, for those with high enough social credit scores in the future. Since they can't make its collapse obvious, go for the pilots first? Reduce planes and routes, increasing demand and costs. It has already doubled in three years. From 2004 to 2019 I paid between $750-$950 for economy on a transatlantic flight. Now they sell the slave class "basic economy" at that price, no bag, no reserved seat, nothing, and the old economy is $1300-$1600. Airline shrinkflation. The execs don't care. They'll cash out their golden parachutes and fly private anyway.
In 1990, when I figured out where this was headed, I began to fret that I would never be able to travel before it became difficult, and eventually banned. Then , in 1998 I inherited a house. As soon as possible, I took out a home equity loan so I could travel. The day that check cleared the bank I was in the travel agent's office, booking my first trip to Zanzibar and Kenya. In the next few years i saw most (but not all) of the places that I longed to visit. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
I had a friend who ragged on me about my loan, telling me I would greatly regret what I had done. Guess what? He's dead now. Killed himself in a panic when he lost his job in the crash of 2008. He would have been first in line for the Jonestown jab, so he probably would be dead now anyway.
Aug 28, 2023·edited Aug 28, 2023Liked by Good Citizen
"‘federal agencies’ are now doing deep dives into pilots medical histories and finding out that the despite the FAA requirements that pilots self-report all medical conditions, including any psychiatric care (what does this mean? Prozac, marriage counseling, grief counseling?) and terminating pilots for failure to report.”
On the one hand, seeking psychiatric treatment, going to therapy, and taking antidepressants is relentlessly pushed by that handmaiden of government, the mainstream media.
On the other hand, when or if you do these things, it is grounds for dismissal when the government or a corporation decides that you are not “psychologically stable.”
It’s almost as if it were planned this way. Make everyone easy to fire when they become inconvenient.
They are digging deep for "dirt" on these guys to get them to retire. $10 million in Biden's account from China or Burisma is impossible to see but an intensive search for a pilot's psychiatric records is priority number one. And we all know that if they want to find a reason to fire someone, they will.
Also, this is another great reason not to agree to allow your med records to be entered into a national database. That's happening everywhere. You can;t step into a hospital without them giving you that form. DO NOT COMPLY.
That was my grandmother and I going Downtown (on the cable car). You always “dress” to go Downtown! She always wore gloves, and I always wore a dress, Sunday coat, and Mary Janes. It’s what you DID!
Thank you for this assessment of the outward manifestations of an empire in steep decline. I recall my high school philosophy teacher commenting about the sad irony of putative young social rebels "conforming by not conforming". Thus, the purple hair and the bearded baristas dressed like lumberjacks at pretty much every Starbucks across the country.
Gil Scott-Heron once stated that the revolution will not be televised. He never dreamed that the de-evolution would be.
The tattoo thing is a head-scratcher for me. My Dad was an old Navy man so he had a tattoo of an anchor on his shoulder with the U.S.S. Oriskany beneath.
Tattoos are are almost de rigueur here in middle Tennessee. Pretty much everyone has at least one (with the exception of my wife, two sons, and me).
I watched in amazement as an otherwise very attractive woman at the local gym went through a tattoo metamorphosis over a period of six months last year. She started with one (that I could see) and by the end of the summer had them all over including her neck and face. I never had the guts to ask her whether everything was okay at home.
Hands down one of the best usernames on Substack. I don't get it either. All that money spent on self defiling, on imprinting ugliness, permanently scarring regrets onto one's largest organ. Invest in tattoo laser removal clinics. Franchise them like Ray Kroc did McDonalds. The person who invents the at home tattoo laser removal device and bribes the FDA for approval will be the wealthiest person in history.
I think everyone is entitled to their own personal sense of aesthetics and it’s not for me to tell others how to spend their own money, but I always wonder what would have happened if somebody covered with tattoos — the “book of me,” if you will — had spent that time and opportunity cost trying to create a work of art themselves instead.
Insidious and obvious breakdown/collapse of society. People. Art and Architecture. Clothes. Travel. Food. Cars. Education. Intellect, ideas and language. Restraint. Manners. Moderation. Modesty. Contribution and creativity over consumption and convenience. It’s all so gross. Style is the right word. Not merely lacking, drowned and murdered. I’m pissed. Beauty, harmony is not subjective. It’s about everything we once were. I cry and long for that time.
About 7 years ago, one of my brothers got married and honeymooned in Hawaii. He and his bride were in their early 60s and it was the 2nd marriage for both of them. As part of a very expensive package, they had dinner at a very high end Hawaiian restaurant which was owned and operated by a world famous master chef. At one point, an odd entourage entered the restaurant. Steven Tyler, the lead vocalist of Aerosmith, one of the biggest rock bands of all time, had a slut on his arm less than one third his age. Tyler is a tranny so it's a safe bet "his" whore was as well. The Yids just love to make gender reversed freaks celebrities and superstars. With them was Bill Walton, the former basketball luminary of many years ago and an old, famous black jazz musician whose name I can't recall. They were all wearing pajamas and slippers. Totally unfazed, the smiling host led this troop of miscreants to their table. In dystopia, scum rises to the top. Smoking article, GC, thanks.
Good article. I like informality, but it has gone way too far with foul language, dressing like slobs and tats all over, or anywhere for that matter. As soon as I see a woman with tats, I discount her from the halls of femininity.
I am a fit, healthy, non-drinker that always dresses nice. Recently I was walking through the resort village I live near and was shocked by the universal slopiness of the people there on holiday. However, I am also fairly covered in tattoos, which began late in life during a time of despair for the degradation of society during covid lockdowns. Occasionally I look back and wonder if I could do it all over again if I would refrain from being tattooed. It is an interesting thought, but as a conservative-minded 55 year old man, nobody cared about me or my opinions when I wasn't tattooed, and nothing has changed since accumulating a body of American Traditional tattoos. I suppose in some ways my nostalgic tattoos are a harkening back to times I remember growing up and the blue collar workers I knew in my family, as well as coworkers. Even amongst the tattooed crowd I do not fit in. I understand painting with a broad brush when evaluating the tattooed population, and in many cases I do so myself. I also hold no grudge towards anyone that looks down their nose at tattooed individuals. But, we are not all alike. It is always an interesting exercise to consider how I am perceived. In most cases, I am speaking to my clients on the phone or through email, so I have a chance to prove myself before an in-person meeting. I also wear long sleeves and long pants to meetings where my tattoos are mostly hidden. In a suit and tie there are only very subtle hints that I have tattoos, and my age and demeanor are not indicative of the amount of tattoo coverage I have. I do find it interesting that so many conservative writers hold up tattoos as a sign of decline, and in many cases I agree. However, I am old enough to know that life, and people are complicated.
Cultural commentary aside which requires broad brushes, and can make no claims on the quality of an individual's character, it is an unfortunate aspect of human nature to judge superficially.
Interestingly, that is why I always dress nice. You only have one chance to make a first impression. I suppose I am old enough that I just said f*#k it.
It's an eyeopener watching Korean shows. There's absolutely no wokeness or token diversity characters. People dress up as if they were living in the 1950s. Nobody has tattoos or anything other than ear piercings (if that). There's innocence and hopefulness.
The 'American Grafifti' clip was very apropos with the T-Bird driven by the pretty girl representing the past, with the Edsel--complete with Potsie in the back seat, longing for the girl-- in what we have become. The Edsel driver was correct: "She's gone, man!"
Hey G.S. Considering the USA has got the title locked better than the Brady-era Pats had in the AFC East, how would you rank Mexico? Asking for a friend ;-)
Haha. Which metrics/categories? The average Mexican would probably say it's too damn hot to worry about style. For a brief spell Mexico was the top spot for most obese and overweight population (2009?). They send their drugs north (and china's fentanyl), in return for cash, guns, and cola. Coca cola is the fentanyl of Mexico, there just aren't any emergency calls for ambulances to show it.
Looking for an exit strategy. Afraid Mexico may be too hot as well, but other factors like the cost of living and a health system not hijacked by the FDA and Big-Pharma are major draws.
I understand obesity and diabetes runs rampant in the Mexican-American demo. (I work with a health system in San Antonio. BIG issue. Huge. And yes, Coca-Cola is a dietary staple.) Wasn't sure how big of an issue this was south of the border.
At least the Mexican Coke is made with sugar and not HFCS.
There are towns in the high desert that get cold in winter and not-so humid in summer. San Miguel is one. Mexico is captured like all countries by the global malthusian terrorists, however for healthcare, affordability, weather, stress free living, it's above and beyond the states. For the cost of an average American house one can get a 3 bd condo overlooking the pacific ocean with 5 star amenities and beach life. One can pay out of pocket for health care, with holistic and naturopathic options abundant and still pay a lot less than the average American pays for insurance, copays, deductibles, etc. It's a good exit option still. And yes, all the shit the FDA approves for american foods, even the HFCS and other toxins are absent from international markets, with the exact same products. A ketchup bottle in the US will be full of garbage. The same company in the EU will sell a different recipe sans garbage, exact same brand. There's even a fruit and veg "sealant", some kind of plastic coating that the FDA approved full of metals and poisons that are permitted on "organic" fruit and veg in the US. Completely insane .gov busily engaged in poisoning and killing its people in ways that aren't as obvious and prolific in other countries. If they're already injecting mRNA into the animals slaughtered for human consumption, that's game set match.
Oh man... I'm turning 60 in about a week and so I've had a ringside seat at the "arena of the decline." I still remember when manners, courtesy and kindness actually mattered. We were never allowed to leave the house looking like a scumbag. "Everyday" clothes were for wearing at home and doing chores, not going out in public. We always (and I still do) dressed decently to fly or take the train somewhere. Getting tattoos was for cons and fat bikers and was *not* acceptable (and as far as I'm concerned, still isn't... if someone can't show who they are by the way they live their lives, I sure as hell don't want to read about who they are on the outside of their bodies depicted as so-called "art") Pierced ears were for women, not little girls and certainly not men. Being 300 pounds overweight was not considered brave and stunning, it was a sign of someone who couldn't control themselves and was not eating properly. I mean... I could go on and on. But I'm called one of those pesky "boomers" even though I've been screaming about liberty my whole life. Something else that people just don't get (and as a "libertarian" leaning person get resistance for) is that a society cannot and will not ever have liberty and freedom if they cannot live by any kind of standards for a successful society. It just doesn't work. If "anything goes" in a society, eventually "everything goes" because a society that cannot control themselves sets themselves up to be controlled. It's just a fact. Great post. Oh, and my Dad was "black pilled" long before that was a thing. He always told people (as do I), "I'm not negative... I'm a *realist*." Thanks for letting us freeloaders read the post. :)
"We were never allowed to leave the house looking like a scumbag." Haha. Ahh the days when mom would stop you at the door and make you tuck your shirt in or button your collar. It's fascinating to watch the cultural cycle come full circle. The whole thing might be a product of liberty. Maximum liberty (in a consumer society) births hyper individualism and "counter cultures" which must manifest through greater and greater grotesque extremes until simple, clean, respectable attire and presentation becomes the new counter culture. The cycle from the 1960s to the present though, at least last century bounced within a spectrum (mod to rock to punk to preppy to grunge etc) until recently when it may have all collapsed into one indistinguishable mess of nothingness where we arrive at your brilliant point (that I might steal one day): "A society that cannot control themselves sets themselves up to be controlled."
This is one of the best posts I've ever read on Substack. Thanks for allowing us all to read this magnificent story. It really touched me because I long for the Golden Era of America when I was fortunate enough to grow up as a youngster, child, teenager and adult. Those were the best of times because people cared for things they don't care for at all now. It's all due to the decline of civilization which will ultimately be the demise of the American Empire. It's so sad to see America in the condition it is today. But it was all by design by those who control all the power, wealth and knowledge. The glory days are long behind us. 😥
I give this Stack a 1st Place prize for epic storytelling. 🥇👏
Thanks James. Having been in the states for a few months this spring and summer, the longest spell since 2006, I sensed this ominous feeling in people I'd met. More so in Arizona than Portland, of course.
"This is one of the best posts I've ever read on Substack."
By far.
Hi Rob,
I came right after you. I'm part of the first year of Gen X, born in '65, so I'll be 59 in April. I can't agree enough with what you're saying. I was brought up that was as well. Probably "boomer" vs "gen x" is not really a good measure as what values were in the family. My parents were born in the 40s.
I lived the best years of my life during the "Stabilization Period" described in the article. I feel not just lucky but even blessed compared to the absolute shit that people call their lives these days.
It was so wonderful but even still, I long for the era of the 40's. I am fascinated by it. By the music, by the class, by the much better in character people that were common. If I could go back in time, I would turn 18 on VE day, so that I could have lived my heyday starting in 1945 on the very close of WW2.
I look at all of this insanity and feel as though most people have lost their minds. Tattoos... yes, just as you have said but what people do these days looks like skin disease. It's disgusting. I'm not the most fit but I will never surrender to the degree that most people have already done. I might not be the classiest dressing person but you will never find me wearing pajamas in public, etc.
It sad that it has gone so far but, since it has, it has to break and it has to end. It's utterly digusting and I'll never be OK with what all of this has become.
Amen, Rob. I'm 63 and have been complaining about this for years, always ending with: " Why would anyone want to make themselves look uglier than they already do"...and one of my friends always answers: "They think they look good and that we look ugly."
I HATE tattoos. They look like a brand on a heifer...and heifer is the operative word here. Weak-minded people follow stupid trends. I've been called "negative" for years, and I always answer the same as your dad.
For about the last five years I have been playing game to deal with the tidium of grocery shopping. I count anyone in the store not wearing black, spandex or denim. I rarely make it to one, and it is invariably a foreigner. What is this thing about wearing black ALL the time? I don't even own any black clothing. An old man standing next to me in line recently made a snide remark about an obese woman, covered in piercings and tattoos in front of me. I told him it often felt to me like everyone was on their way to a funeral. When one watches old movies (fifties, sixties...the only movies I watch) the riot of colorful clothing jumps out at you. Colored clothing used to only be worn by the rich, because dye was so expensive. Now when anyone can afford to wear beautiful colors, people opt for black???
When one watches oldish scenes with automobiles, the riot of colours jumps out at you as well 🙂🤔
Happy Birthday Rob! I’ll be 60 in October. Did you read my mind?! You are 100%. I was raised the same way. And I had Catholic school for 12 years. Lol!
Fellow libra?
I'm with you. I turn 62 this week. I have witnessed this country turn to shit... the whole while I am screaming at the top if my lungs to wake up.
I had a graduating highschool class of a whopping 63 people, 2 very nice, sweet, black girls with zero queen attitude.We had one girl slightly overweight and she heard about it often, until the shaming caused her to lose the weight and now she is a very fit 62 year old.
No body had tats or rings anywhere except an ear (and a guy was a faggot if they had one).
Was that era better than today. Yes. A thousand times better and I am sorry that the younger ones missed out and now have to deal with this sickening display we see now.
It is idiotic to call me a "Boomer" when I have fought the fight my entire life, moreso than most of people today.
Boomer should be a compliment. The generational antagonisms are just another mode of fomenting division so nobody ever bands together to cut the head off the snake.
While adding to my digital library I stumbled across these wonderful collections that everyone might want to add to their digital library as well.
Archive.org is so wonderful and so well worth contributing to.
https://archive.org/download/CSIWEMBLEY-EBOOK-COLLECTION
https://archive.org/details/TheCampaignerVolume7Number6TheTavistockGrin_201903/The_campaigner_-_December_1978/page/n11/mode/2up
Imagine being 62 and having a kid who just started college.
Pajamawear in public is preparation for wearing it in incarceration.
I HATE pajama days at school...... the kids and teachers all get in on the conformity.....I never have worn pajamas on those days.....I also don't particiapte in pink shirt day, orange shirt day, etc...I always remind the teachers that we are here to educate not indocrinate.....I will be fired soon.....
What??? Schools now have days where everyone wears pajamas? Just when I thought...
Now? No, it's been for YEARS.....I HATE it..... and then when I ask the kids about it they tell me that they love it because they roll out of bed and come to school!!!!! I am trying to explain that they should be putting on CLEAN pjs for the day....OMFG!!!! No one knows my pain and misery...... they are even allowed to bring STUFFIES...even the older grades......I just CAN'T.... we look like effin' morons..... how can you take the principals seriously when they are parading in their effin jammies???????? 🤡
Oh yeah. It’s been going on for 20-30 years. I never let my kids wear pj’s to school.
T'was me, I'd have my own private version of what school houses used to be by now.
Even inmates don’t dress like that. 😉
I did when I was one. The tops are like scrubs and the bottoms have elastic waistbands. The footwear is crocs without the heel piece.
Interesting way to make the point: that rather large segment of society won't really notice its new form incarceration or rather it will most gladly accept it.
The incarceration hasn't changed nor has what they call food.
There are a few factors to consider:
-lots of people are depressed. Depressed people aren't likely to care about their appearance.
-lots of people are on a variety of drugs. The drugs make us sicker. So we are obese and depressed and not getting any better. So we don't care about looking good.
-if you're female, it's really hard to find attractive clothes at a reasonable price. Ugly colors in designs that make you look bad? Lots of that around. Nice clothes at a good price? Not so much.
There is something else going on too; it might be related to the depression issue. I've found that people rarely complement each other if they look nice. So... if you're treated the same way for wearing sweats and a t-shirt as opposed to a suit, why bother? There is no external incentive.
I *suspect* the ugly clothes for women is part of a demoralization effort by... IDK, the government via Blackrock via Big Clothes? Aka "you'll sell the women ugly clothes because we want them to feel bad about themselves, and if you don't, no loans for you."
Some fair points shibumi. A few additions if I may on the first two...weaponized psychology and psychiatry have completely over diagnosed depression so they can pill push for their masters. Most people hear an "expert" that they trust but shouldn't say they're depressed and they assume the role of a depressed person even though they never were. The drugs then induce some depression and a whole host of other neuro ailments per the model of western "medicine" and they never get the proper guidance they need. In most cases simple things like sleep, exercise, hot/cold therapy, or even just talking would have cured them. Instead they are trapped inside the revolving door of psych appointments, drugs, and assumed role of victim. Make victimhood a source of social capital, as with younger generations and they will seek out mental health problems for self identification. Multiply this by tens of millions and you have an incapacitated and helpless population.
"Multiply this by tens of millions and you have an incapacitated and helpless population."
Yep. And they're overweight, tattooed and wearing leggings, skinny jeans and basketball shorts. Sad.
Victimhood sure walks on stilts these days, nigh fully embraced. Big Pharma here is a huge enabler; it makes the job of censorship (aka counter-mis/dis/mal-information) industrial complex all the more easy 😟
💬 The Empire must turn its power inward, on managing the perceptions of its subjects so the illusion of its might is maintained in their minds.
Fiat News Dashboard helpfully vivisects a ‘delicate but potent’ recipe how to bake this deceptively delicious cake --> epsilontheory.com/fiat-dashboard 🔥👌 Ingredients galore.
I too blame entities like Blackrock and Vanguard and government in general. But ultimately it's a spiritual battle. What we're witnessing is the result of moral decay across the board.
I'm learning to sew my own clothes. A useful skill in the days ahead.
Though I certainly agree with you in part, my Grandmother always preached to us, "you may be poor, but you don't have to be dirty!" And, "If you're depressed, snap out of it!" If someone is overweight or feels like they are homely for whatever reason, they certainly don't have to wear a 10$ spandex leo and a tank top. Heck, a 5$ XXXL T-Shirt and a pair of decent fitting shorts would be better than that. Haha. But again, I get what you're saying.
It's all brutalism designed to depress us and make us give up hope.
Ugly clothes. Ugly cars. Ugly buildings. And now.... ugly men dressed up as women who are ... surprise... ugly.
RE: Grandma... LOL. Tough Love. Remember that?
Yes, I sure miss mine. If she was alive now, she would have much to say about the standards we (don’t) have.
“I've found that people rarely complement each other if they look nice.”
As a man, I note that complimenting a woman for “looking nice,” especially in the workplace, is now a cultural minefield. If you want to keep your job it’s better to keep your compliments to yourself.
Oh, I agree completely about the workplace.
However, it's not a bad thing to compliment your immediate family or friends, which mostt people don't seem to do anymore.
I expect tacit or active derision from my family and friends. I already know they love me; consequently jokes are in order.
If one can't receive compliments gracefully from a colleague or a stranger, what's the point of putting oneself together? This is, I think, much to both Good Citizen's point and yours.
The author completely ignores the influx of thirdworlders, their negative influence and the (((media))) pushing such garbage on us though...
Historically societies at this level of decadence would be conquered by stronger, saner neighbors, or there would be an internal revolution, but there is no one on the horizon either internally or externally who seems like it can challenge globohomo's hegemony. Therefore, it seems like this process of decadence and decay will only get worse: https://neofeudalreview.substack.com/p/prepare-to-be-cast-into-the-thunderdome
Russia is controlled by the Rothschild and allies central bank owners as well, and so are the BRICS so any movement toward a multi-polar world is just putting lipstick on the pig, imo...
Agreed. On the NWO front there is no difference between BRICS and the "rules based" ass wipes of the neoliberal death cult. Culturally however, people aren't going quietly into the night. In serbia they march against the Rainbow groomer cult. Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, rural Czechia, Croatia, are still difficult frontiers for Globohomo to gain a stronghold. The rise of reactionary cultural sentiments even in nordic countries, France, Spain, and Italy are finally manifesting politically. But yes, the multi-polar charade to manifest divisions appears to be just that.
“rural Czechia”
A minor digression, but I note that the Czechs are avid fans of American country music (and make their own!) and have a strong firearms and hunting culture. Česká Zbrojovka Brno bought Colt, America’s most storied firearms manufacturer, over two years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_CZ_Group#:~:text=On%2011%20February%202021%20the,expansion%20into%20the%20U.S.%20market.
Given that Colt had suffered under corporate mismanagement for decades and that CZ has a long history of bringing high-quality products to market at a fair price, I am pleased with this turn of events. As the (German) band The Scorpions sang, “Wind of Change.”
Agree
Our society is ripe for conquest by Silicon Valley nerds and feeble old CEO's and bankers.
I mean, that's what we have currently. Something like 25% of the economy is the financial sector when it used to be, a generation ago, 2%. But that is oligarchy, the splintering of power into various fiefdoms, and oligarchy is terrible for the common man. Only the centralization of power into a King, Emperor or dictator has the ability to control the oligarchs, but our society is set up primarily to prevent such a power centralization. Hence, the expectation that things will get much worse...
If a "king" should emerge he might be a figure head for the globalists to back. Not just a puppet. But a guy with alliances to them.
My father, who would have been 98 now, used to lament the way men and women used to dress, especially in big cities. "In SF, every single woman wore a dress, heels and hat when walking down the street (including up those crazy hills) and all the men wore suits and hats. The way people dress now is deplorable!" I used to roll my eyes at his nostalgia but now I see that it was a ratcheting down into 3rd world looks over the last few decades.
This morning I read yet another startling article about the massive shortage of pilots --how "federal agencies" are now doing deep dives into pilots' medical histories and finding out that they have violated FAA requirements that pilots self-report all medical conditions, including any psychiatric care (what does this mean? Prozac, marriage counseling, grief counseling?) and terminating pilots for failure to report. Is it me, or is eradicating the airlines of all pilots from all angles an actual agenda? Flight cancellations, riots on planes, excessive costs--all roads lead to no more flights for the plebes.
It appears to be part of the agenda 30 enslavement plan. Air travel may return to a niche luxury, for those with high enough social credit scores in the future. Since they can't make its collapse obvious, go for the pilots first? Reduce planes and routes, increasing demand and costs. It has already doubled in three years. From 2004 to 2019 I paid between $750-$950 for economy on a transatlantic flight. Now they sell the slave class "basic economy" at that price, no bag, no reserved seat, nothing, and the old economy is $1300-$1600. Airline shrinkflation. The execs don't care. They'll cash out their golden parachutes and fly private anyway.
Rule #1 Nothing is obvious. If it takes them ten times the amount of time to destroy something in order to do it stealthily, that's what they'll do.
In 1990, when I figured out where this was headed, I began to fret that I would never be able to travel before it became difficult, and eventually banned. Then , in 1998 I inherited a house. As soon as possible, I took out a home equity loan so I could travel. The day that check cleared the bank I was in the travel agent's office, booking my first trip to Zanzibar and Kenya. In the next few years i saw most (but not all) of the places that I longed to visit. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
I had a friend who ragged on me about my loan, telling me I would greatly regret what I had done. Guess what? He's dead now. Killed himself in a panic when he lost his job in the crash of 2008. He would have been first in line for the Jonestown jab, so he probably would be dead now anyway.
"‘federal agencies’ are now doing deep dives into pilots medical histories and finding out that the despite the FAA requirements that pilots self-report all medical conditions, including any psychiatric care (what does this mean? Prozac, marriage counseling, grief counseling?) and terminating pilots for failure to report.”
On the one hand, seeking psychiatric treatment, going to therapy, and taking antidepressants is relentlessly pushed by that handmaiden of government, the mainstream media.
On the other hand, when or if you do these things, it is grounds for dismissal when the government or a corporation decides that you are not “psychologically stable.”
It’s almost as if it were planned this way. Make everyone easy to fire when they become inconvenient.
They are digging deep for "dirt" on these guys to get them to retire. $10 million in Biden's account from China or Burisma is impossible to see but an intensive search for a pilot's psychiatric records is priority number one. And we all know that if they want to find a reason to fire someone, they will.
Also, this is another great reason not to agree to allow your med records to be entered into a national database. That's happening everywhere. You can;t step into a hospital without them giving you that form. DO NOT COMPLY.
First rule of Washington DC as a federal employee is that most of your income should not be coming from your salaried position.
There are still honest people there. They just hover at the GS-13 level in perpetuity and cannot afford to pay for a house.
Finding ways to eradicating pilots from all angles, starting with injections of poisons, has found its way. Part of the agenda.
That was my grandmother and I going Downtown (on the cable car). You always “dress” to go Downtown! She always wore gloves, and I always wore a dress, Sunday coat, and Mary Janes. It’s what you DID!
Thank you for this assessment of the outward manifestations of an empire in steep decline. I recall my high school philosophy teacher commenting about the sad irony of putative young social rebels "conforming by not conforming". Thus, the purple hair and the bearded baristas dressed like lumberjacks at pretty much every Starbucks across the country.
Gil Scott-Heron once stated that the revolution will not be televised. He never dreamed that the de-evolution would be.
The tattoo thing is a head-scratcher for me. My Dad was an old Navy man so he had a tattoo of an anchor on his shoulder with the U.S.S. Oriskany beneath.
Tattoos are are almost de rigueur here in middle Tennessee. Pretty much everyone has at least one (with the exception of my wife, two sons, and me).
I watched in amazement as an otherwise very attractive woman at the local gym went through a tattoo metamorphosis over a period of six months last year. She started with one (that I could see) and by the end of the summer had them all over including her neck and face. I never had the guts to ask her whether everything was okay at home.
Hands down one of the best usernames on Substack. I don't get it either. All that money spent on self defiling, on imprinting ugliness, permanently scarring regrets onto one's largest organ. Invest in tattoo laser removal clinics. Franchise them like Ray Kroc did McDonalds. The person who invents the at home tattoo laser removal device and bribes the FDA for approval will be the wealthiest person in history.
"Franchise them like Ray Crock did McDonalds."
A) Please let me know when you make the IPO publicly available.
B) Thank you for the compliment.
https://youtu.be/vBmvfW7WOUc?si=zHGwEp8V16RgO3nu
THIS is one of my all time favorites! 🤣Speaking of tattoos…
That was quite funny
I cannot tell a lie. Guilty as charged 🤣😂🤣😉.
I think everyone is entitled to their own personal sense of aesthetics and it’s not for me to tell others how to spend their own money, but I always wonder what would have happened if somebody covered with tattoos — the “book of me,” if you will — had spent that time and opportunity cost trying to create a work of art themselves instead.
Some write; some get written on.
Very well stated. I agree.
Insidious and obvious breakdown/collapse of society. People. Art and Architecture. Clothes. Travel. Food. Cars. Education. Intellect, ideas and language. Restraint. Manners. Moderation. Modesty. Contribution and creativity over consumption and convenience. It’s all so gross. Style is the right word. Not merely lacking, drowned and murdered. I’m pissed. Beauty, harmony is not subjective. It’s about everything we once were. I cry and long for that time.
About 7 years ago, one of my brothers got married and honeymooned in Hawaii. He and his bride were in their early 60s and it was the 2nd marriage for both of them. As part of a very expensive package, they had dinner at a very high end Hawaiian restaurant which was owned and operated by a world famous master chef. At one point, an odd entourage entered the restaurant. Steven Tyler, the lead vocalist of Aerosmith, one of the biggest rock bands of all time, had a slut on his arm less than one third his age. Tyler is a tranny so it's a safe bet "his" whore was as well. The Yids just love to make gender reversed freaks celebrities and superstars. With them was Bill Walton, the former basketball luminary of many years ago and an old, famous black jazz musician whose name I can't recall. They were all wearing pajamas and slippers. Totally unfazed, the smiling host led this troop of miscreants to their table. In dystopia, scum rises to the top. Smoking article, GC, thanks.
Thanks HD. Alternate title: Empire of Scum Souffle
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good article. I like informality, but it has gone way too far with foul language, dressing like slobs and tats all over, or anywhere for that matter. As soon as I see a woman with tats, I discount her from the halls of femininity.
Rome is burning.
Pass the marshmallows.
I am a fit, healthy, non-drinker that always dresses nice. Recently I was walking through the resort village I live near and was shocked by the universal slopiness of the people there on holiday. However, I am also fairly covered in tattoos, which began late in life during a time of despair for the degradation of society during covid lockdowns. Occasionally I look back and wonder if I could do it all over again if I would refrain from being tattooed. It is an interesting thought, but as a conservative-minded 55 year old man, nobody cared about me or my opinions when I wasn't tattooed, and nothing has changed since accumulating a body of American Traditional tattoos. I suppose in some ways my nostalgic tattoos are a harkening back to times I remember growing up and the blue collar workers I knew in my family, as well as coworkers. Even amongst the tattooed crowd I do not fit in. I understand painting with a broad brush when evaluating the tattooed population, and in many cases I do so myself. I also hold no grudge towards anyone that looks down their nose at tattooed individuals. But, we are not all alike. It is always an interesting exercise to consider how I am perceived. In most cases, I am speaking to my clients on the phone or through email, so I have a chance to prove myself before an in-person meeting. I also wear long sleeves and long pants to meetings where my tattoos are mostly hidden. In a suit and tie there are only very subtle hints that I have tattoos, and my age and demeanor are not indicative of the amount of tattoo coverage I have. I do find it interesting that so many conservative writers hold up tattoos as a sign of decline, and in many cases I agree. However, I am old enough to know that life, and people are complicated.
Cultural commentary aside which requires broad brushes, and can make no claims on the quality of an individual's character, it is an unfortunate aspect of human nature to judge superficially.
Interestingly, that is why I always dress nice. You only have one chance to make a first impression. I suppose I am old enough that I just said f*#k it.
It's an eyeopener watching Korean shows. There's absolutely no wokeness or token diversity characters. People dress up as if they were living in the 1950s. Nobody has tattoos or anything other than ear piercings (if that). There's innocence and hopefulness.
Is there a fifth Phase, Totalitarian Dystopia? Or is that included in the Long Night?
We're moving there quickly.
The 'American Grafifti' clip was very apropos with the T-Bird driven by the pretty girl representing the past, with the Edsel--complete with Potsie in the back seat, longing for the girl-- in what we have become. The Edsel driver was correct: "She's gone, man!"
Great observation!
We'll ride on our coattails until they tear under the weight.
Haha. Excellent!
Hey G.S. Considering the USA has got the title locked better than the Brady-era Pats had in the AFC East, how would you rank Mexico? Asking for a friend ;-)
Haha. Which metrics/categories? The average Mexican would probably say it's too damn hot to worry about style. For a brief spell Mexico was the top spot for most obese and overweight population (2009?). They send their drugs north (and china's fentanyl), in return for cash, guns, and cola. Coca cola is the fentanyl of Mexico, there just aren't any emergency calls for ambulances to show it.
The obesity and sloth metrics.
Looking for an exit strategy. Afraid Mexico may be too hot as well, but other factors like the cost of living and a health system not hijacked by the FDA and Big-Pharma are major draws.
I understand obesity and diabetes runs rampant in the Mexican-American demo. (I work with a health system in San Antonio. BIG issue. Huge. And yes, Coca-Cola is a dietary staple.) Wasn't sure how big of an issue this was south of the border.
At least the Mexican Coke is made with sugar and not HFCS.
There are towns in the high desert that get cold in winter and not-so humid in summer. San Miguel is one. Mexico is captured like all countries by the global malthusian terrorists, however for healthcare, affordability, weather, stress free living, it's above and beyond the states. For the cost of an average American house one can get a 3 bd condo overlooking the pacific ocean with 5 star amenities and beach life. One can pay out of pocket for health care, with holistic and naturopathic options abundant and still pay a lot less than the average American pays for insurance, copays, deductibles, etc. It's a good exit option still. And yes, all the shit the FDA approves for american foods, even the HFCS and other toxins are absent from international markets, with the exact same products. A ketchup bottle in the US will be full of garbage. The same company in the EU will sell a different recipe sans garbage, exact same brand. There's even a fruit and veg "sealant", some kind of plastic coating that the FDA approved full of metals and poisons that are permitted on "organic" fruit and veg in the US. Completely insane .gov busily engaged in poisoning and killing its people in ways that aren't as obvious and prolific in other countries. If they're already injecting mRNA into the animals slaughtered for human consumption, that's game set match.
Ah yes, The "Apeel" label.
Thanks for this!
That's the one. Forgot the name. Diabolical...
https://twitter.com/iluminatibot/status/1692948162430869525?s=20