Good day Dear Reader,
Welcome to Notes from the End of the World, where we call out naked emperors, slay sacred cows and foil lame canards from our perch down here at the fin del mundo in Buenos Aires, Argentina...
Thank you for joining us… and for supporting our humble mission.
We think it’s an important one because, as you might have already noticed, the times they are a changin’. And not necessarily for the better.
Through a series of catalyzing events – some deliberately planned and carefully orchestrated... others left to the whims and caprices of the gods (more about both anon.) – we have arrived at a curious situation, where up is down and black is white.
We are witnessing a period in history that will surely vex our childrens’ children, when they look back on our epoch and wonder...
“What the hell were they thinking?!”
We speak of a world where corporate billionaires traverse the open skies in private jets... all while lecturing us, the unwashed masses far below, on how to “save the planet” from an impending climate emergency...
We are expected to “own nothing and be happy,” as per the World Economic Forum’s decree... while our better angels in government spend like dipsomaniacal degenerates, mortgaging our childrens’ future and running up eye-watering debts and deficits, the likes of which we have never seen...
We are instructed to sit placidly by, as wars are waged in “our” name against people we have never met, whose lands we may never visit... all while the spooks and goons in the Military Industrial Complex line their pockets with blood money...
We are scolded, berated and sermonized by our moral betters... told to deny that which stands before our very eyes, to suspend disbelief, to pretend that credit is capital, that men are women and that the promise of a little safety is more important than the guarantee of our fundamental liberty.
It is truly as Orwell warned in his dystopian masterpiece, 1984:
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
Of course, Orwell’s novel was intended as a warning; not a blueprint. And yet, here we are.
In times of yore, we might have relied on the grit and fortitude of a few good men in the popular press to forge ahead, to shine the light of truth into the halls of darkness, and to champion the cause of the man on the street.
Men of letters like H.L. Mencken, P.J. O’Rourke and of course, the inimitable Mark Twain, who saw the writing on the wall (even back then) when he cautioned...
“If you don’t read the newspapers you are uninformed; if you do read them, you are misinformed.”
The once-proud Fourth Estate, charged with speaking truth to power, to comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, has become little more than a lickspittle mouthpiece for elites and their self-serving agenda.
It falls, then, to independent journalism, to those of us on “the fringe,” who harbor unpopular opinions... and who are not afraid to wield them... to enter the fray.
This we do with some reluctance. Much as we’d prefer to ignore the public sphere altogether, with its inglorious vanities and reckless conceits, we nevertheless heed the timeless words of the great Greek general, Pericles:
“Just because you do not take an interest in politics, doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.”
And so, as a man without a country of his own, a self-imposed exile down here at the end of the world, we take aim at the whole passing parade, at its bread and circuses, its relentless catastrophizing and bed-wetting alarmism. We do so sword in hand...and tongue firmly in cheek.
Moreover, for our dear members, we offer meaningful ways to help to regain your sanity, renew your intellectual clarity and reinvigorate your philosophical investment in all that’s really worth your time and attention.
In addition to our regular Notes from the End of the World – published during the week, gratis – members will also gain access to our premium podcast conversations, where we speak with industry insiders, public intellectuals, professional investors and best-selling authors about the forces that really shape the world around us...
In place of the fear and loathing emanating from the mainstream press... from Hollywood... from college campuses... from pandering politicians and the woke corporate world... we seek something more substantive, rooted in rational discourse, classical literature and voluntary, free-market association.
Please support our project by becoming a member today... and look out for our next installment of Notes from the End of the World over the next couple of days.
Cheers,
Joel Bowman
P.S. Part of our mission here is to reach as broad an audience as possible... one that includes both those on the so-called “right” and “left”... as well as the growing cohort of political orphans, those who feel abandoned by both parties and would like to see a real change in the public space.
For this reason, we’ve kept our membership fee as low as possible...a fraction of what boutique research publications routinely charge. For less than $2/week, you can access all our content, including member-only articles and podcasts, and join in the rough-and-tumble comments section to have your say.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website. Never miss an update.
Stay up-to-date
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
