Neither sage nor philosopher, I still find it arrogant, limiting, stifling, and short-sighted for the Fukuyamas of this world to put a lid on human development. How pessimistic.
rKf - you are "on the money" but unfortunately there is great misery and chaos ahead before human development begins again. The elites/deep state (I have decided not to capitalize either - disrespect intended) will do whatever it has to even to destroying all of us so they can manage the ashes. How they think they are going to survive - first and foremost they are all Narcissistic beyond us normal proles imagination. This is going to be ugly!
Thing is there are always pockets of reason and optimism. The challenge is to find them. My solution is to be the “best human” I can while doing what seems good and right where I am. Pollyanna-ish yes, but it’s all I can do.
How they think they are going to survive is an interesting question indeed. I have often thought about this very thing and decided to reference once again to history. ( Where else?) Father history seems to show us they will be the first against the wall. The so-called educated are always the first to go due to the fact they are the most threatening to the new order. Just ask Stalin et al.
I wanted to comment, and then remembered that I could. I wonder if Mr. Fukuyama ever read the Bible. If he did, he clearly doesn't believe it, though God has a verifiable 100% track record in predicting the future. Our future is Revelation 13, and everything is now being set up for the events depicted in that chapter. To be fair, the events predicted have been set up for some time now, but people are slow. That's the bad - the good is that the world will see a display of primitive godliness that has not been witnessed for centuries, and many will respond, perhaps even some reading this. Stay tuned.
As an economist, CPA, former Bank CEO and now Corporate Board member and investor; I really suspect that I should know, or at least have a good idea, about how this fiscal crisis in the US gets "resolved." Regrettably, I do not know; but I do have my suspicions, and they are that the "ruling class" and the "public" will allow the country to fall into the financial abyss, before they realize that the country is doomed. In essence, "The end of History" devolves into the end of the US Grand Experiment in a Constitutional Republic. I hope somebody on this trail, can give me reason to be more hopeful.
The long known, simple solution to extricate the nation from it is not complicated -- produce more wealth to tax while simultaneously reduce Federal spending -- but our form of government stymies both: the former solution with regulations galore and the latter with no Constitutional mandate
Case in point: No one gets elected to Federal office by promising to be good stewards of the public purse. If they fail to give ever greater access to the public trough, they are replaced by someone who will.
LOL. You are spot on, and my comments were based on your statements being true. The problem is, if tat s always the case, then what action will ACTUALLY be taken. That is the question, I have no answer to, except to be pessimistic, that the required actions will be taken. I support Trump over Biden (or his potential replacements), but he knows politically that he can not talk about the "fiscal discipline medicine" in his campaign...(even if he really wanted to) The real test of his Presidency will be when the crisis hits and he is tested to make the tough decisions that are required. I truly believe that the next four years will be when the "fix" has to begin. Growth will not get us out of this nightmare, and the pressure to keep debt service down for the Federal government, will make dealing with the criss even tougher because that effort is bound to reignite inflation.
Nope, the situation is hopeless. Our selfish human nature got us to where we are, and there is no way that same nature can provide a remedy. But, I do outline a remedy in Discourse On Agape, which you can read free here: https://discourseonagape.org/booklets/. Needless to say, the source material is the Bible.
I'm sorry, it's simply not possible, for the reasons given. Read my free booklet, and I think you will agree. There is hope, but it does not reside within us.
According to prophecy the Creator of man has a timeline. In almost 6000 yrs of human history every type of governance has been tried and failed to bring Paradise on earth. Empires have risen and fallen The prophecies point to the Anglo/American empire as being the last one. And then…? Please go on jw.org for proven evidence of a wonderful future here on earth that awaits for the long-suffering meek ones Test it out! I did many years ago. I sleep soundly at night because I have a hope for the future not based on politics of imperfect men who cannot solve the problems of the whole earth. ( And no…I’m not talking of a future in heaven….lol). Thanks Hope you find comfort, Gerry.
Last night Mr. Trump promised to pay back the debt and end inflation. Does he really not know how money has been created these last 100 or so years? Still, so happy he didn't get ended by that bullet. Our streets would be a repeat of the summer of 2020...all those masked up peaceful rioters rather nonsensically and impatiently demanding their piece of the action.
Political palaver from a flawed man who, when he was president, was responsible for the largest increase in the nation's debt to date. Like all politicians, he'll say whatever most people want to hear. It's how they get elected
Who among us is not flawed? But yes, tragically true. Who could have imagined that standard middle of the road promises would eventually do us in? And that no one can see this debt train coming but a few random Cassandras…
Hopefully, this needs to be done to get people to understand the numbers with some related perspective. If we convert dollars to seconds, we find that 0ne million dollars = 1,000,000 seconds. = 11.574 days. One billion dollars = 1,000,000,000 seconds = 11,574 days = 31.68 years. One trillion dollars = 1,000,000,000,000 seconds = 11,574,074 days = 31, 688 years. Please take some time to understand this. Then, consider if your elected representative understands this. Another thing, any money above our GDP is ghost money, created by those same elected officials you so happily voted for and turned into your personal debt by the Federal Reserve banks. Please, please don't forget to vote.
p.s. When the last man stands, the last of the meek will have been destroyed, and he and only he can announce the end of history.
I assumed it was only a momentary over-sight. Surely OSC knows what us lowly proles are too ignorant to have her knowledge and wisdom. So glad she is on top of it for us. Gives me great comfort and I'll sleep better now too.
LOL. You are spot on, and my comments were based on your statements being true. The problem is, if tat s always the case, then what action will ACTUALLY be taken. That is the question, I have no answer to, except to be pessimistic, that the required actions will be taken. I support Trump over Biden (or his potential replacements), but he knows politically that he can not talk about the "fiscal discipline medicine" in his campaign...(even if he really wanted to) The real test of his Presidency will be when the crisis hits and he is tested to make the tough decisions that are required. I truly believe that the next four years will be when the "fix" has to begin. Growth will not get us out of this nightmare, and the pressure to keep debt service down for the Federal government, will make dealing with the criss even tougher because that effort is bound to reignite inflation.
Too many people on this planet + wars are us + politicians who buy votes by overspending public money + megalomaniacs = a species no different today than our fighting forebears who always sought to take what others possessed.
Hegel and Fukuyama may expostulate until the cows come home ideal templates for human fulfillment, but our genetic disposition will never allow us to attain them. We are prone to violence; not comity.
Anyone for some despairing speculation from a sickly man? This assumes Biden stays in the race. We will move, and quickly, away from democracy so that the self righteous can wield their power as long as possible. Trump wins but he does not survive getting sworn in. And the resulting uprising will be stilled with force. And in a state of emergency, democracy as we know it will be suspended for awhile. Until everyone is thinking straightly. God in heaven help us! Spending on all usual sorts of inanities will continue unabated, inflation run rampant. Violence unceasing. This time next year will be markedly different in this country. Don’t trust in princes. Then again, I may be wrong.🤪
It appears that Congress and society is into the extend and pretend. Most likely dominated by "why not see how far we can carry on with this exorbitant privilege". It's currently better than experiencing the ugly reality. Milei on the other hand has experienced the ugly reality before for almost a century before any attempt at correction.
Might I point out a flaw in your statement: "In a country where any boy, girl ...or might grow up to be president, then the nation that enthusiastically sent its soldiers abroad to “make the world safe for democracy” offered up a Bush, followed by a Clinton (twice), followed by another Bush (twice), then very nearly another Clinton. Two decades of political power, held in the hands of two dynastic families."
You left out Obama (twice), and fail to mention the real possibility of Michelle's aspirations in the Family of Liberal Democrat Dynasties.
Let's offer Mr. Milei an honorary citizenship in the USA and a bigger chainsaw.
My dear Mr. Bowman, you never disappoint.
Neither sage nor philosopher, I still find it arrogant, limiting, stifling, and short-sighted for the Fukuyamas of this world to put a lid on human development. How pessimistic.
rKf - you are "on the money" but unfortunately there is great misery and chaos ahead before human development begins again. The elites/deep state (I have decided not to capitalize either - disrespect intended) will do whatever it has to even to destroying all of us so they can manage the ashes. How they think they are going to survive - first and foremost they are all Narcissistic beyond us normal proles imagination. This is going to be ugly!
Thing is there are always pockets of reason and optimism. The challenge is to find them. My solution is to be the “best human” I can while doing what seems good and right where I am. Pollyanna-ish yes, but it’s all I can do.
Actually not Pollyanna-ish at all. We have no input on what’s coming but we can live the best life we can! I am 100% with you.
How they think they are going to survive is an interesting question indeed. I have often thought about this very thing and decided to reference once again to history. ( Where else?) Father history seems to show us they will be the first against the wall. The so-called educated are always the first to go due to the fact they are the most threatening to the new order. Just ask Stalin et al.
I wanted to comment, and then remembered that I could. I wonder if Mr. Fukuyama ever read the Bible. If he did, he clearly doesn't believe it, though God has a verifiable 100% track record in predicting the future. Our future is Revelation 13, and everything is now being set up for the events depicted in that chapter. To be fair, the events predicted have been set up for some time now, but people are slow. That's the bad - the good is that the world will see a display of primitive godliness that has not been witnessed for centuries, and many will respond, perhaps even some reading this. Stay tuned.
As an economist, CPA, former Bank CEO and now Corporate Board member and investor; I really suspect that I should know, or at least have a good idea, about how this fiscal crisis in the US gets "resolved." Regrettably, I do not know; but I do have my suspicions, and they are that the "ruling class" and the "public" will allow the country to fall into the financial abyss, before they realize that the country is doomed. In essence, "The end of History" devolves into the end of the US Grand Experiment in a Constitutional Republic. I hope somebody on this trail, can give me reason to be more hopeful.
The country is already in a financial abyss.
The long known, simple solution to extricate the nation from it is not complicated -- produce more wealth to tax while simultaneously reduce Federal spending -- but our form of government stymies both: the former solution with regulations galore and the latter with no Constitutional mandate
Case in point: No one gets elected to Federal office by promising to be good stewards of the public purse. If they fail to give ever greater access to the public trough, they are replaced by someone who will.
LOL. You are spot on, and my comments were based on your statements being true. The problem is, if tat s always the case, then what action will ACTUALLY be taken. That is the question, I have no answer to, except to be pessimistic, that the required actions will be taken. I support Trump over Biden (or his potential replacements), but he knows politically that he can not talk about the "fiscal discipline medicine" in his campaign...(even if he really wanted to) The real test of his Presidency will be when the crisis hits and he is tested to make the tough decisions that are required. I truly believe that the next four years will be when the "fix" has to begin. Growth will not get us out of this nightmare, and the pressure to keep debt service down for the Federal government, will make dealing with the criss even tougher because that effort is bound to reignite inflation.
Nope, the situation is hopeless. Our selfish human nature got us to where we are, and there is no way that same nature can provide a remedy. But, I do outline a remedy in Discourse On Agape, which you can read free here: https://discourseonagape.org/booklets/. Needless to say, the source material is the Bible.
I refuse to accept "hopeless." I think we still have a chance to fix the debacle, but it will be painful.
I'm sorry, it's simply not possible, for the reasons given. Read my free booklet, and I think you will agree. There is hope, but it does not reside within us.
According to prophecy the Creator of man has a timeline. In almost 6000 yrs of human history every type of governance has been tried and failed to bring Paradise on earth. Empires have risen and fallen The prophecies point to the Anglo/American empire as being the last one. And then…? Please go on jw.org for proven evidence of a wonderful future here on earth that awaits for the long-suffering meek ones Test it out! I did many years ago. I sleep soundly at night because I have a hope for the future not based on politics of imperfect men who cannot solve the problems of the whole earth. ( And no…I’m not talking of a future in heaven….lol). Thanks Hope you find comfort, Gerry.
Last night Mr. Trump promised to pay back the debt and end inflation. Does he really not know how money has been created these last 100 or so years? Still, so happy he didn't get ended by that bullet. Our streets would be a repeat of the summer of 2020...all those masked up peaceful rioters rather nonsensically and impatiently demanding their piece of the action.
Political palaver from a flawed man who, when he was president, was responsible for the largest increase in the nation's debt to date. Like all politicians, he'll say whatever most people want to hear. It's how they get elected
Who among us is not flawed? But yes, tragically true. Who could have imagined that standard middle of the road promises would eventually do us in? And that no one can see this debt train coming but a few random Cassandras…
Hopefully, this needs to be done to get people to understand the numbers with some related perspective. If we convert dollars to seconds, we find that 0ne million dollars = 1,000,000 seconds. = 11.574 days. One billion dollars = 1,000,000,000 seconds = 11,574 days = 31.68 years. One trillion dollars = 1,000,000,000,000 seconds = 11,574,074 days = 31, 688 years. Please take some time to understand this. Then, consider if your elected representative understands this. Another thing, any money above our GDP is ghost money, created by those same elected officials you so happily voted for and turned into your personal debt by the Federal Reserve banks. Please, please don't forget to vote.
p.s. When the last man stands, the last of the meek will have been destroyed, and he and only he can announce the end of history.
OR: debt increasing by $1 trillion every 100 days=$10 billion/day=10,000 million dollars per day. Approximately.
Oh, I thought OSC explained this all to you fellows. We just owe it to ourselves so what is all this nonsense.
I guess I missed that. I’ll sleep much better now. Thanks.
I assumed it was only a momentary over-sight. Surely OSC knows what us lowly proles are too ignorant to have her knowledge and wisdom. So glad she is on top of it for us. Gives me great comfort and I'll sleep better now too.
LOL. You are spot on, and my comments were based on your statements being true. The problem is, if tat s always the case, then what action will ACTUALLY be taken. That is the question, I have no answer to, except to be pessimistic, that the required actions will be taken. I support Trump over Biden (or his potential replacements), but he knows politically that he can not talk about the "fiscal discipline medicine" in his campaign...(even if he really wanted to) The real test of his Presidency will be when the crisis hits and he is tested to make the tough decisions that are required. I truly believe that the next four years will be when the "fix" has to begin. Growth will not get us out of this nightmare, and the pressure to keep debt service down for the Federal government, will make dealing with the criss even tougher because that effort is bound to reignite inflation.
We all have to endure the highest level of stupidity embraced by those who lack the intelligence to know the difference.
Thanks Joel I forgot about the end of history.
Too many people on this planet + wars are us + politicians who buy votes by overspending public money + megalomaniacs = a species no different today than our fighting forebears who always sought to take what others possessed.
Hegel and Fukuyama may expostulate until the cows come home ideal templates for human fulfillment, but our genetic disposition will never allow us to attain them. We are prone to violence; not comity.
Anyone for some despairing speculation from a sickly man? This assumes Biden stays in the race. We will move, and quickly, away from democracy so that the self righteous can wield their power as long as possible. Trump wins but he does not survive getting sworn in. And the resulting uprising will be stilled with force. And in a state of emergency, democracy as we know it will be suspended for awhile. Until everyone is thinking straightly. God in heaven help us! Spending on all usual sorts of inanities will continue unabated, inflation run rampant. Violence unceasing. This time next year will be markedly different in this country. Don’t trust in princes. Then again, I may be wrong.🤪
Wonderful stuff Joel. Thanks
History does not 'plod'. Not in my view, anyway.
'dimming twilight' is a redundancy.
It appears that Congress and society is into the extend and pretend. Most likely dominated by "why not see how far we can carry on with this exorbitant privilege". It's currently better than experiencing the ugly reality. Milei on the other hand has experienced the ugly reality before for almost a century before any attempt at correction.
Could be much worse than Argentina, with wars and civil wars, before its over.
Might I point out a flaw in your statement: "In a country where any boy, girl ...or might grow up to be president, then the nation that enthusiastically sent its soldiers abroad to “make the world safe for democracy” offered up a Bush, followed by a Clinton (twice), followed by another Bush (twice), then very nearly another Clinton. Two decades of political power, held in the hands of two dynastic families."
You left out Obama (twice), and fail to mention the real possibility of Michelle's aspirations in the Family of Liberal Democrat Dynasties.
The end of history will coincide when the end of large intrusive government is recognized as a scourge on mankind.