I must admit I feel cynical. At 73 I’ve seen so many cycles and it’s clear that “progress” (apart from technological) is a myth. We continually fall back into primitive human behaviour, forgetting all the lessons history taught us - actually not even forgetting because it’s impossible to forget anything now with all the information out there at one’s fingertips. We’re actually wilfully ignoring it. I agree with you it has to be individual and local. We need to stop buying things, start growing our own food, becoming as self sufficient as it’s possible to be. We need to drop out, as Lennon urged us to (though he didn’t, except performatively). But I don’t think we will, because local organising is complicated and requires endless negotiation, and it means giving up our comforts, and life is so easy and convenient now with smart phones and AI. And in the meantime we’re becoming less and less literate and educated and easier to deceive. Our comforts are destroying us but I suspect we’re going to have to be driven into poverty and desperation before we feel we have nothing to lose and rebel. And by then all the wealth and power will be in the hands of the oligarchs and politicians. Think how many centuries it took for the working class to become educated enough to think for themselves and rebel. I very much hope I’m wrong. I have children and grandchildren and I fear the world they’re going to have to negotiate.
Wow! My heart is pounding, my brain exploded a while ago, and now I am breathing a bit raggedly but also filled with HOPE!!! I desperately need contact with a community of like-minded Hope-Warriors, ready to build this new world. Ethan, I pray your work sparks a tsunami of response; I pray for it and for us!
Very insightful as usual, didn’t know you were also in Massachusetts. I’m located in central Shrewsbury myself and your words do bring hope to me at least and at least some sanity in this insane times.
Please allow me to suggest to you a book called OAHSPE. It will clarify alot of what you're feeling and also explain some hidden ancient truths of this ongoing battle we find ourselves in. We shall overcome!
I have to admit being 60 years old myself now and coming from the so-called ruling class, my father graduated from Notre Dame. In the late 1960’s and where I was born, and he came from a family business for over 100 years electroplating until my grandfather got sick and died of cancer, and the other brother decided that he gets the whole business hence the dismantling of the generational wealth of 100 year Business.
Greed kills
Plain and simple!
Since the 1970s, they have systematically been robbing away from our Social Security
through the tax laws, manipulations of the tax of corporate entities,
By not paying their fair share. It’s really that simple in my opinion.
thank you so much for reading and for sharing this!
That's exactly it. Seeking out and amplifying those stories of success is the most powerful counter-tactic we have against the manufactured despair. It's how we actively construct hope and prove their "inevitable" narrative is a lie.
Really appreciate you adding that perspective and amplifying the message. It's crucial work.
If you were to take it one step further…you manufacture your own reality.
I’ve seen a simple smile diffuse a tense situation sometimes . A human to human connection is what humanity needs (IMHO) 😄 Thanks for putting this powerful post out there.
I join the War Council with a set of tools valuable to fight the corporate take-over of our nation, our world. Unification and continued hope, no giving up-no matter how exhausted we are. Taking action by creating press conferences -like we should get so many people right now to Washington sitting on the bulldozer and preventing further destruction of WH -our house and our democratic republic will not be trampled on by the rust! Seizing every moment to ACT not just scream!
A lighthouse in the midst of the storm. This three part series is spot on. Let’s go y’all, time to take back our sovereignty and get a grip on reality. Then make concrete and deliberate changes!
You are so smart! And fuck then! WE are Do-ers! I’m admin in real life and that’s transferable here! I’m ending all my memberships except here and Firebrand. This month.
Susan, thank you for sharing your reality. Living on less than $12k is an incredibly stark picture of the intense economic pressure (Layer 1 🧪) that so many Gears ⚙️ are facing under this system. It highlights exactly what we're fighting against.
Just to clarify, that "Liberation Number" isn't just about basic living costs. A huge piece of that $45k-$60k range is budgeted to cover the astronomical cost of private health insurance here in Massachusetts outside of an employer plan. Unfortunately, even public health options like MassHealth aren't a complete solution in my specific case, as essential medication I rely on isn't covered, leaving private insurance as the only viable path currently. It's one of the biggest chains locking people into traditional jobs – a gap in the system The Rust exploits.
The number represents the threshold needed to replace my current income and navigate that complex healthcare barrier, allowing me to dedicate 100% of my time to building this arsenal and community for all of us, accelerating the fight.
Financial support is only one way folks contribute – sharing your perspective on the harsh realities of this system, like you just did, is also incredibly valuable to the mission. Thank you for adding your voice.
A great read. I feel like once you see the patterns being used it becomes hard to keep engaging with doom content. The amounts of people who are being affected is scary and unbelievable to witness, but i do believe something better will come enough through hard times.
Daisy, thank you. I'm really glad it resonated. You're absolutely right – once you see the patterns, wading through the constant stream of "doom content" becomes incredibly difficult, almost toxic. It is scary and overwhelming to witness how many people are getting caught in that psychological crossfire.
That feeling is exactly why they wage this "War on Hope". They want us exhausted, scared, and passively waiting for "something better". They want us to believe things will just magically improve after the "hard times" pass.
But the core of our fight, the "constructed miracle" we're trying to build, is based on the conviction that we have to forge that "something better" ourselves, right here, right now, during the hard times. Hope isn't something we wait for; it's something we build, day by day, connection by connection, brick by brick in our communities.
Really well written, except you forgot to touch on bureaucratic violence. It is a very real thing in the USA today if you dare to stand up to them,. They took David’s Graeber’s house away from him, canceled Mark Bray’s plane tickets and they have harassed me so much that I’m building my house in Mexico and I don’t even want to come back to the USA ever again until all of the fascist idiots are in prison where they belong.
Far too long...obviously written for the people without a job, a family or a life.
The use of Margaret Thatcher's name is given in the wrong context since she was fighting a civil war at home and a foreign war abroad.
I'm writing in the hope that the American patriots will rise up against the swamp, defeat the democrats and the gutless republicans and bring back the pioneer spirit to the (now) disUnited States of America.
The whole point of the article is that less and less people are able to have a job, a family or a life.. I know it’s too long for your attention span, but please leave relevant comments.
The comment is relevant. My attention span is fine...my time however is taken up with my work and my writing. Edit your posts for clarity or break them down into manageable articles.
If the information is for people who have no work, are university students or lecturers with nothing to do, then fine.
I must admit I feel cynical. At 73 I’ve seen so many cycles and it’s clear that “progress” (apart from technological) is a myth. We continually fall back into primitive human behaviour, forgetting all the lessons history taught us - actually not even forgetting because it’s impossible to forget anything now with all the information out there at one’s fingertips. We’re actually wilfully ignoring it. I agree with you it has to be individual and local. We need to stop buying things, start growing our own food, becoming as self sufficient as it’s possible to be. We need to drop out, as Lennon urged us to (though he didn’t, except performatively). But I don’t think we will, because local organising is complicated and requires endless negotiation, and it means giving up our comforts, and life is so easy and convenient now with smart phones and AI. And in the meantime we’re becoming less and less literate and educated and easier to deceive. Our comforts are destroying us but I suspect we’re going to have to be driven into poverty and desperation before we feel we have nothing to lose and rebel. And by then all the wealth and power will be in the hands of the oligarchs and politicians. Think how many centuries it took for the working class to become educated enough to think for themselves and rebel. I very much hope I’m wrong. I have children and grandchildren and I fear the world they’re going to have to negotiate.
Wow! My heart is pounding, my brain exploded a while ago, and now I am breathing a bit raggedly but also filled with HOPE!!! I desperately need contact with a community of like-minded Hope-Warriors, ready to build this new world. Ethan, I pray your work sparks a tsunami of response; I pray for it and for us!
WE WILL
What are the pluralities of metrics to measure progression and regression from complexity and ecological perspectives? https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-are-the-pluralities-of-me-XTMlx7bfTCCjJmQJi6Jytg
That is a long read. Did you read it all? I want to but wow lol
Very insightful as usual, didn’t know you were also in Massachusetts. I’m located in central Shrewsbury myself and your words do bring hope to me at least and at least some sanity in this insane times.
Please allow me to suggest to you a book called OAHSPE. It will clarify alot of what you're feeling and also explain some hidden ancient truths of this ongoing battle we find ourselves in. We shall overcome!
First documented use of the term “starship” supposedly.
I have to admit being 60 years old myself now and coming from the so-called ruling class, my father graduated from Notre Dame. In the late 1960’s and where I was born, and he came from a family business for over 100 years electroplating until my grandfather got sick and died of cancer, and the other brother decided that he gets the whole business hence the dismantling of the generational wealth of 100 year Business.
Greed kills
Plain and simple!
Since the 1970s, they have systematically been robbing away from our Social Security
through the tax laws, manipulations of the tax of corporate entities,
By not paying their fair share. It’s really that simple in my opinion.
Truth. My tactic is to seek out and amplify those stories of success
thank you so much for reading and for sharing this!
That's exactly it. Seeking out and amplifying those stories of success is the most powerful counter-tactic we have against the manufactured despair. It's how we actively construct hope and prove their "inevitable" narrative is a lie.
Really appreciate you adding that perspective and amplifying the message. It's crucial work.
Ethan
If you were to take it one step further…you manufacture your own reality.
I’ve seen a simple smile diffuse a tense situation sometimes . A human to human connection is what humanity needs (IMHO) 😄 Thanks for putting this powerful post out there.
I join the War Council with a set of tools valuable to fight the corporate take-over of our nation, our world. Unification and continued hope, no giving up-no matter how exhausted we are. Taking action by creating press conferences -like we should get so many people right now to Washington sitting on the bulldozer and preventing further destruction of WH -our house and our democratic republic will not be trampled on by the rust! Seizing every moment to ACT not just scream!
A lighthouse in the midst of the storm. This three part series is spot on. Let’s go y’all, time to take back our sovereignty and get a grip on reality. Then make concrete and deliberate changes!
Thank you Shelley<3
You are so smart! And fuck then! WE are Do-ers! I’m admin in real life and that’s transferable here! I’m ending all my memberships except here and Firebrand. This month.
You want to live on $45,000 - $60,000?
I live on less than $12,000. I can't afford to support you.
Susan, thank you for sharing your reality. Living on less than $12k is an incredibly stark picture of the intense economic pressure (Layer 1 🧪) that so many Gears ⚙️ are facing under this system. It highlights exactly what we're fighting against.
Just to clarify, that "Liberation Number" isn't just about basic living costs. A huge piece of that $45k-$60k range is budgeted to cover the astronomical cost of private health insurance here in Massachusetts outside of an employer plan. Unfortunately, even public health options like MassHealth aren't a complete solution in my specific case, as essential medication I rely on isn't covered, leaving private insurance as the only viable path currently. It's one of the biggest chains locking people into traditional jobs – a gap in the system The Rust exploits.
The number represents the threshold needed to replace my current income and navigate that complex healthcare barrier, allowing me to dedicate 100% of my time to building this arsenal and community for all of us, accelerating the fight.
Financial support is only one way folks contribute – sharing your perspective on the harsh realities of this system, like you just did, is also incredibly valuable to the mission. Thank you for adding your voice.
Ethan
Never argue with MAGA. They do not deserve our energy, and I don’t need the trauma.
A great read. I feel like once you see the patterns being used it becomes hard to keep engaging with doom content. The amounts of people who are being affected is scary and unbelievable to witness, but i do believe something better will come enough through hard times.
Daisy, thank you. I'm really glad it resonated. You're absolutely right – once you see the patterns, wading through the constant stream of "doom content" becomes incredibly difficult, almost toxic. It is scary and overwhelming to witness how many people are getting caught in that psychological crossfire.
That feeling is exactly why they wage this "War on Hope". They want us exhausted, scared, and passively waiting for "something better". They want us to believe things will just magically improve after the "hard times" pass.
But the core of our fight, the "constructed miracle" we're trying to build, is based on the conviction that we have to forge that "something better" ourselves, right here, right now, during the hard times. Hope isn't something we wait for; it's something we build, day by day, connection by connection, brick by brick in our communities.
https://commonsenserebel.substack.com/p/their-inevitable-future-vs-our-constructed
Thank you for holding onto that hope. It's the most precious fuel we have. Glad to have you fighting alongside us.
Exactly why I chose “Have Hope 🤜🏽🤛🏻” as my tag line. I didn’t realize what I was saying really. I felt it before I knew it.
Really well written, except you forgot to touch on bureaucratic violence. It is a very real thing in the USA today if you dare to stand up to them,. They took David’s Graeber’s house away from him, canceled Mark Bray’s plane tickets and they have harassed me so much that I’m building my house in Mexico and I don’t even want to come back to the USA ever again until all of the fascist idiots are in prison where they belong.
Elections in two weeks November 4, 22025:
Pennsylvania — 3 state Supreme Court Justices are incumbents. They must keep their seats or we’re screwed.
Virginia — Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and some smaller elections that all matter or else.
New Jersey
Texas — Propositions
Far too long...obviously written for the people without a job, a family or a life.
The use of Margaret Thatcher's name is given in the wrong context since she was fighting a civil war at home and a foreign war abroad.
I'm writing in the hope that the American patriots will rise up against the swamp, defeat the democrats and the gutless republicans and bring back the pioneer spirit to the (now) disUnited States of America.
The whole point of the article is that less and less people are able to have a job, a family or a life.. I know it’s too long for your attention span, but please leave relevant comments.
The comment is relevant. My attention span is fine...my time however is taken up with my work and my writing. Edit your posts for clarity or break them down into manageable articles.
If the information is for people who have no work, are university students or lecturers with nothing to do, then fine.
I can code. Please contact me.
This 👏