Just a speculation here. Cd it be that Trumpi's overwrought military parade, and the Israeli attack on Iran, are connected? The connection being the West-to-East tectonic shift I have been talking abt for several mos. now? Here's what I mean. On some level, Trumpi does perceive the threat coming from the East, the threat to the US and the West in general. It follows the playbk of Alfred Adler, that when you feel, deep inside, that you are inferior, you counteract this by acting superior, playing the big shot. (Trumpi knows he's a bulvan, and a loser.) You put on a big show, but it's hollow; it actually reveals weakness. Meanwhile, consider who is opposing Trump domestically, in the streets: they are flying the Mexican flag, the flag of the country we steamrolled in the 19C, whose land we stole. The 3rd World, the underdogs.
And then the Israeli attack on Iran (and the genocide of the Palestinians), its last-ditch attempt to overpower the East, wh/it fears. A similar dynamic is at work here, it seems to me. Ultimately, I suspect neither of these actions will work; that History's arrow is moving away from Trumpi and Bibi, and toward the global underdogs. In retrospect, in the future, these actions will be seen for what they are: violent, destructive attempts to preserve regimes that are immoral, spiritually bankrupt, and that finally cannot be preserved. Jus' thinking...
Abt once a wk, something happens that reminds me that I am no longer living in the US. I don't romanticize Mexico; I'm aware of the following things:
-Worst distribution of wealth in all of Latin America
-Highest rate of killing of journalists worldwide; also high rate of killing of political figures
-Control of a few cities and states by narcotraficantes, and the overlap of these thugs with the federal government and the military
If this list is not exactly true, it comes pretty close. And yet, on the level of daily human interaction, Mexico is one of the most gracious societies around, and as I said, I'm reminded of this literally every week. Here is today's incident:
I'm on a bus going from my apt. to a market, and notice, out of the window, that a guy is chasing the bus from about a block away, hoping to get on. In the US, the bus driver wd just keep going. But what happened here is that the driver pulled the bus over to the curb, stopped the bus, and waited for the guy to catch up, and get on the bus. What's the difference? In America, it's "every man for himself," and "if you snooze you lose." We don't give a shit abt people. In Mexico, it's just the opposite. The slogan might be, "We try to make things easier for other people." This is the difference between a destructive, narcissistic culture, and one based on cooperation and relationship. A culture of buffoons, versus one of decent human beings. (Continued above)
For the most part, I have avoided talking abt myself on this blog, because the real focus is, and shd be, the decline of the US. But once in a long while, I need to rave and rant. Well, b4 that, let me tell you abt a fabulous novel by Lily King, "Euphoria." I read it when it came out in 2014, and am rereading it now, because I'm thinking abt writing a bk on the history of anthropology. Lily's bk is a fictionalized version of real events that took place between the wars, a love triangle among 3 anthropologists--Margaret Mead, Reo Fortune, and Gregory Bateson. Those of you who have read the Reenchantment bk know that I invested a lot of time and energy in GB, to my mind a great, innovative thinker. Ruth Benedict also makes an appearance in the story, as she did in real life. Anyway, a terrific read; you wd all enjoy it.
But as to my raving and ranting: the last bk I published, "They Took Him Away in a Wagon," is my 24th. Not too shabby a record, no? Many of my bks have been labeled "cult classics," offering a very different way of looking at the US, Western civ, and reality in general. And what have I received, as a reward for my efforts? In a word, bupkis. Consider the awards available to American writers today. First, there is the Pulitzer, wh/plays a significant role in my latest novel (the "Wagon" bk). Then there is the National Bk Award; the Macarthur Genius Grant; the Guggenheim Fellowship; and of course, the Nobel. Wafers, I ask you: Do I stand a chance? Hah! My odds are roughly negative infinity. I'll receive one of these when pigs fly in V-geese formation over the White House. Of course, I didn't write any of those bks in order to win an award, or even to receive a positive review somewhere. Not at all. All of them were a case of "virtue is its own reward," or in my case, the enjoyment of the process as a craft. Because the subjects I pursued were extremely absorbing. When you do the research, or when you write up your argument or story, you are gone; you have left the planet. It's a lot like that kinesthetic moment in Proust, when he dips the madeleine in the tea, and the whole world falls away. That is the major internal reward; we might call it an "internal Pulitzer." (continued above)
(continued from below)
And then also, there are exterior awards beyond the Macarthur etc. Since my publication of the Reenchantment bk in 1981, literally down to today, not a month goes by that someone totally unknown to me will write me out of the blue, and say, "Your book X changed my life. I can't thank you enuf." I'm sure you all can imagine how good that must feel. After all, I'm in the business of changing lives, or trying to; including my own. We can all grow, change, evolve, expand our hearts and our minds. And when I see things clearly, I know that the Pulitzer or whatever is nothing compared to that Proustian moment of total immersion, or that heartfelt appreciation from some stranger. That's when I have my head pasted on straight, and am grateful for the life I have had.
Actually, a # of pundits have pointed out that this wd be a repeat of the Iraq debacle, but I think most of those pundits are foreign journalists. The reason this is happening is not only because America is stupid, but also because it is unconscious. For most of its history, America has sleepwalked thru life, w/literally no self-awareness. If it attacks Iran, it will do so because it is programmed to do so. It doesn't know how to do anything else. You saw how Schmiden resurrected the Cold War. What cd be dumber? But he literally hadn't a clue as to how *not* to do that. This is US foreign policy in a nutshell. Since 1945, we have piled up one military disaster after another, and learn abs. 0 from experience. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq...
Hey, WTF? Kill everybody! This is America! Death is our middle name!
Meanwhile, I have a serious question: Last time I checked, Israel had 200 nuclear missiles stored in the Dimona facility in the Negev. No one has objected to this. But Iran is apparently not allowed to have a nuclear enrichment program. Who decides which countries can be nuclear and which can't? This is not a rhetorical question on my part.
By now the US is an international joke. Most countries understand that it is a paper tiger; that the president is an unstable moron, and that his staff consists of incompetents who, like him, don't know what they are doing. All of which is a gd thing. Many actually regard America as silly.
In addition, many countries (but not the US) are aware of the West-to-East tectonic shift: that as the US and Europe sink in significance, Russia, India, China, and the BRICS nations are rising, gaining in global influence and power. Quite honestly, all of this is too obvious to even warrant comment.
But most of the nations of the world (and certainly the US) are ignorant of 2 important facts:
1.It's not just that the American gov't consists of buffoons; so does the American population, and that there is a connection between that reality and the decline of the country. You do not see this discussed anywhere in all of the social media, press reports, and so on. American politicos and journalists are completely unaware of this, which puts severe limits on their "analyses." It's also why I have said repeatedly, that I love a gd buffoon.
2.Also not mentioned is the second tectonic shift I have written abt. All of the above folks are completely ignorant of it, and yet it is driving the motor of history right now. In Platonic terms, they are mesmerized by the shadows, unaware of the light. And it is not likely that they will become aware of the light for many yrs. As a result, their "analyses" of events is superficial, not to say inaccurate. This ignorance is also a big part of our decline.
I have predicted the de facto end of the US by 2030. But given these tectonic shifts, how much different the world will look like in 2050, perhaps even earlier.
For several years now I have predicted the end of the US in 2030. In order for this to happen, the present government hasta be run by the following types of people: gangsters, thugs, incompetents, people who are immoral, who have no qualifications for their jobs. Ignoramuses. Trashy people. People who don't give a shit abt the American people, but only their careers. And guess what?
As a result, I AM PUMPED! Honestly, I cdn't be more excited. How about you?
-mb
ps: It's time for Wafers to start making and selling bumper stickers. I'll suggest 3, but feel free to add to the list:
Barf City, for sure. But then Gwyneth was selling candles that smelled like her vagina for $75 a pop, and sold out overnight. Yes, the sickest society on the face of the Earth. I puke, I retch, I blow my lunch. And yet, as a declinist, I hafta say: You go, girls!
-mb
ps: Meanwhile, we need to hear from Tulsi von Schmulsi, Nikki von Schmikki, Lauren "Two Hands," Marjorie "Jewish Lasers," Gisele Bundchen, Sarah Palin, and other cutting-edge female intellects, of whom America is justly proud.
Anyway, I got to the market, and at one station purchased several food items. A guy came up to the station carrying only 1 item. "Es todo?" I asked him, gesturing at his package. He nodded. I then gestured for him to go ahead of me. (Can you imagine an American doing this?) He did, and was so obviously grateful that I had treated him that way. He literally beamed at me. I guess I passed the gd feeling I had abt the bus driver forward, i.e. onto this stranger.
I've been living here nearly 20 yrs, and in that time Mexico has taught me how to be less of an asshole, and more of a human being. Frankly, the thought of ever returning to the US makes me want to toss my cookies.
And then also, there are exterior awards beyond the Macarthur etc. Since my publication of the Reenchantment bk in 1981, literally down to today, not a month goes by that someone totally unknown to me will write me out of the blue, and say, "Your book X changed my life. I can't thank you enuf." I'm sure you all can imagine how good that must feel. After all, I'm in the business of changing lives, or trying to; including my own. We can all grow, change, evolve, expand our hearts and our minds. And when I see things clearly, I know that the Pulitzer or whatever is nothing compared to that Proustian moment of total immersion, or that heartfelt appreciation from some stranger. That's when I have my head pasted on straight, and am grateful for the life I have had.
I thank you for listening.
-mb
ps: I've been thinking that if I go down to Times Square, take off my clothes, and stand on my head while singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy", that these various award organizations might finally notice me. Hard to say. (Put a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.)
It's a sick and violent country. I doubt most Americans care--if they even knew abt all that. It will get worse. We're a hair's breadth away from a police state; or are we already there?
Joe-
I can't help it: I love boat rage. Boat rage is what made this country great, after all.
Got up this morning, wanted to listen to Edith Piaf. She is so fabulous. George Steiner once wrote about listening to "Je ne regrette rien," and weeping. Here it is:
It's impt to keep in mind that all of these politicos, Dems or GOP, are completely full of shit. Then you won't be confused by what happens. All their "thinking" (there's a joke) is ad hoc. They don't know what they think, or what they are doing, and they don't know shit from Shinola (a saying from when I was a kid).
Arnie-
Thanks for stopping by. I very much enjoyed your studies on the rise and fall of civilizations. Meanwhile, some thoughts on the new war, and our drifting toward a Suez moment. In metallurgy, the word "integrity" refers to the ability of a metal to maintain its intended function; to endure, in short. Continued flexing back and forth of a metal erodes its integrity, until it breaks, or can no longer function. America has sustained war after war, and defeat after defeat, and continues to bounce back--but, I wd maintain, in an increasingly weaker condition. It can't keep doing this forever; the financial analogy wd be, living off of capital. Sooner or later, it will exhaust itself--even if only from an economic pt of view. We don't have infinite resources, after all. There is also a spiritual erosion that is operating, a kind of degradation, such that morale eventually reaches a very low pt. I think the word "asymptote" might be relevant here; or if I may coin a phrase, "exponential stupidity." (Cf. a film from 1994 called "Dumb and Dumber")
Wafers-
Just a speculation here. Cd it be that Trumpi's overwrought military parade, and the Israeli attack on Iran, are connected? The connection being the West-to-East tectonic shift I have been talking abt for several mos. now? Here's what I mean. On some level, Trumpi does perceive the threat coming from the East, the threat to the US and the West in general. It follows the playbk of Alfred Adler, that when you feel, deep inside, that you are inferior, you counteract this by acting superior, playing the big shot. (Trumpi knows he's a bulvan, and a loser.) You put on a big show, but it's hollow; it actually reveals weakness. Meanwhile, consider who is opposing Trump domestically, in the streets: they are flying the Mexican flag, the flag of the country we steamrolled in the 19C, whose land we stole. The 3rd World, the underdogs.
And then the Israeli attack on Iran (and the genocide of the Palestinians), its last-ditch attempt to overpower the East, wh/it fears. A similar dynamic is at work here, it seems to me. Ultimately, I suspect neither of these actions will work; that History's arrow is moving away from Trumpi and Bibi, and toward the global underdogs. In retrospect, in the future, these actions will be seen for what they are: violent, destructive attempts to preserve regimes that are immoral, spiritually bankrupt, and that finally cannot be preserved. Jus' thinking...
-mb
Wafers-
Abt once a wk, something happens that reminds me that I am no longer living in the US. I don't romanticize Mexico; I'm aware of the following things:
-Worst distribution of wealth in all of Latin America
-Highest rate of killing of journalists worldwide; also high rate of killing of political figures
-Control of a few cities and states by narcotraficantes, and the overlap of these thugs with the federal government and the military
If this list is not exactly true, it comes pretty close. And yet, on the level of daily human interaction, Mexico is one of the most gracious societies around, and as I said, I'm reminded of this literally every week. Here is today's incident:
I'm on a bus going from my apt. to a market, and notice, out of the window, that a guy is chasing the bus from about a block away, hoping to get on. In the US, the bus driver wd just keep going. But what happened here is that the driver pulled the bus over to the curb, stopped the bus, and waited for the guy to catch up, and get on the bus. What's the difference? In America, it's "every man for himself," and "if you snooze you lose." We don't give a shit abt people. In Mexico, it's just the opposite. The slogan might be, "We try to make things easier for other people." This is the difference between a destructive, narcissistic culture, and one based on cooperation and relationship. A culture of buffoons, versus one of decent human beings. (Continued above)
Wafers-
For the most part, I have avoided talking abt myself on this blog, because the real focus is, and shd be, the decline of the US. But once in a long while, I need to rave and rant. Well, b4 that, let me tell you abt a fabulous novel by Lily King, "Euphoria." I read it when it came out in 2014, and am rereading it now, because I'm thinking abt writing a bk on the history of anthropology. Lily's bk is a fictionalized version of real events that took place between the wars, a love triangle among 3 anthropologists--Margaret Mead, Reo Fortune, and Gregory Bateson. Those of you who have read the Reenchantment bk know that I invested a lot of time and energy in GB, to my mind a great, innovative thinker. Ruth Benedict also makes an appearance in the story, as she did in real life. Anyway, a terrific read; you wd all enjoy it.
But as to my raving and ranting: the last bk I published, "They Took Him Away in a Wagon," is my 24th. Not too shabby a record, no? Many of my bks have been labeled "cult classics," offering a very different way of looking at the US, Western civ, and reality in general. And what have I received, as a reward for my efforts? In a word, bupkis. Consider the awards available to American writers today. First, there is the Pulitzer, wh/plays a significant role in my latest novel (the "Wagon" bk). Then there is the National Bk Award; the Macarthur Genius Grant; the Guggenheim Fellowship; and of course, the Nobel. Wafers, I ask you: Do I stand a chance? Hah! My odds are roughly negative infinity. I'll receive one of these when pigs fly in V-geese formation over the White House. Of course, I didn't write any of those bks in order to win an award, or even to receive a positive review somewhere. Not at all. All of them were a case of "virtue is its own reward," or in my case, the enjoyment of the process as a craft. Because the subjects I pursued were extremely absorbing. When you do the research, or when you write up your argument or story, you are gone; you have left the planet. It's a lot like that kinesthetic moment in Proust, when he dips the madeleine in the tea, and the whole world falls away. That is the major internal reward; we might call it an "internal Pulitzer." (continued above)
(continued from below)
And then also, there are exterior awards beyond the Macarthur etc. Since my publication of the Reenchantment bk in 1981, literally down to today, not a month goes by that someone totally unknown to me will write me out of the blue, and say, "Your book X changed my life. I can't thank you enuf." I'm sure you all can imagine how good that must feel. After all, I'm in the business of changing lives, or trying to; including my own. We can all grow, change, evolve, expand our hearts and our minds. And when I see things clearly, I know that the Pulitzer or whatever is nothing compared to that Proustian moment of total immersion, or that heartfelt appreciation from some stranger. That's when I have my head pasted on straight, and am grateful for the life I have had.
I thank you for listening.
-mb
Mo-
Actually, a # of pundits have pointed out that this wd be a repeat of the Iraq debacle, but I think most of those pundits are foreign journalists. The reason this is happening is not only because America is stupid, but also because it is unconscious. For most of its history, America has sleepwalked thru life, w/literally no self-awareness. If it attacks Iran, it will do so because it is programmed to do so. It doesn't know how to do anything else. You saw how Schmiden resurrected the Cold War. What cd be dumber? But he literally hadn't a clue as to how *not* to do that. This is US foreign policy in a nutshell. Since 1945, we have piled up one military disaster after another, and learn abs. 0 from experience. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq...
-mb
Black-
The country is a joke, the leaders are jokes, and the people are jokes. America will be the first nation in history to die of laughter.
-mb
A gd example of beating off from a senile doofus:
https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-shootings-manhunt-06-14-25
Kent State redux:
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/13/us/video/florida-sheriff-warns-protesters-we-will-kill-you-digvid
Hey, WTF? Kill everybody! This is America! Death is our middle name!
Meanwhile, I have a serious question: Last time I checked, Israel had 200 nuclear missiles stored in the Dimona facility in the Negev. No one has objected to this. But Iran is apparently not allowed to have a nuclear enrichment program. Who decides which countries can be nuclear and which can't? This is not a rhetorical question on my part.
-mb
Wafers-
By now the US is an international joke. Most countries understand that it is a paper tiger; that the president is an unstable moron, and that his staff consists of incompetents who, like him, don't know what they are doing. All of which is a gd thing. Many actually regard America as silly.
In addition, many countries (but not the US) are aware of the West-to-East tectonic shift: that as the US and Europe sink in significance, Russia, India, China, and the BRICS nations are rising, gaining in global influence and power. Quite honestly, all of this is too obvious to even warrant comment.
But most of the nations of the world (and certainly the US) are ignorant of 2 important facts:
1.It's not just that the American gov't consists of buffoons; so does the American population, and that there is a connection between that reality and the decline of the country. You do not see this discussed anywhere in all of the social media, press reports, and so on. American politicos and journalists are completely unaware of this, which puts severe limits on their "analyses." It's also why I have said repeatedly, that I love a gd buffoon.
2.Also not mentioned is the second tectonic shift I have written abt. All of the above folks are completely ignorant of it, and yet it is driving the motor of history right now. In Platonic terms, they are mesmerized by the shadows, unaware of the light. And it is not likely that they will become aware of the light for many yrs. As a result, their "analyses" of events is superficial, not to say inaccurate. This ignorance is also a big part of our decline.
I have predicted the de facto end of the US by 2030. But given these tectonic shifts, how much different the world will look like in 2050, perhaps even earlier.
-mb
Waferinos-
For several years now I have predicted the end of the US in 2030. In order for this to happen, the present government hasta be run by the following types of people: gangsters, thugs, incompetents, people who are immoral, who have no qualifications for their jobs. Ignoramuses. Trashy people. People who don't give a shit abt the American people, but only their careers. And guess what?
As a result, I AM PUMPED! Honestly, I cdn't be more excited. How about you?
-mb
ps: It's time for Wafers to start making and selling bumper stickers. I'll suggest 3, but feel free to add to the list:
HONK IF YOU THINK AMERICA IS FINISHED
HONK IF YOU THINK AMERICA IS A TOTAL PILE OF CRAP
INCREASE THE STUPIDITY!
Black-
Barf City, for sure. But then Gwyneth was selling candles that smelled like her vagina for $75 a pop, and sold out overnight. Yes, the sickest society on the face of the Earth. I puke, I retch, I blow my lunch. And yet, as a declinist, I hafta say: You go, girls!
-mb
ps: Meanwhile, we need to hear from Tulsi von Schmulsi, Nikki von Schmikki, Lauren "Two Hands," Marjorie "Jewish Lasers," Gisele Bundchen, Sarah Palin, and other cutting-edge female intellects, of whom America is justly proud.
(Continued from below)
Anyway, I got to the market, and at one station purchased several food items. A guy came up to the station carrying only 1 item. "Es todo?" I asked him, gesturing at his package. He nodded. I then gestured for him to go ahead of me. (Can you imagine an American doing this?) He did, and was so obviously grateful that I had treated him that way. He literally beamed at me. I guess I passed the gd feeling I had abt the bus driver forward, i.e. onto this stranger.
I've been living here nearly 20 yrs, and in that time Mexico has taught me how to be less of an asshole, and more of a human being. Frankly, the thought of ever returning to the US makes me want to toss my cookies.
-mb
(continued from below)
And then also, there are exterior awards beyond the Macarthur etc. Since my publication of the Reenchantment bk in 1981, literally down to today, not a month goes by that someone totally unknown to me will write me out of the blue, and say, "Your book X changed my life. I can't thank you enuf." I'm sure you all can imagine how good that must feel. After all, I'm in the business of changing lives, or trying to; including my own. We can all grow, change, evolve, expand our hearts and our minds. And when I see things clearly, I know that the Pulitzer or whatever is nothing compared to that Proustian moment of total immersion, or that heartfelt appreciation from some stranger. That's when I have my head pasted on straight, and am grateful for the life I have had.
I thank you for listening.
-mb
ps: I've been thinking that if I go down to Times Square, take off my clothes, and stand on my head while singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy", that these various award organizations might finally notice me. Hard to say. (Put a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.)
Yet another piece of American trash (there are so many of them):
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/29/beyonce-shirt-anti-indigenous-language
Jeff-
It's a sick and violent country. I doubt most Americans care--if they even knew abt all that. It will get worse. We're a hair's breadth away from a police state; or are we already there?
Joe-
I can't help it: I love boat rage. Boat rage is what made this country great, after all.
-mb
ps: Elite = trash:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2025/jun/26/ben-jennings-jeff-bezos-lauren-sanchez-amazon-cartoon
Wafers-
Got up this morning, wanted to listen to Edith Piaf. She is so fabulous. George Steiner once wrote about listening to "Je ne regrette rien," and weeping. Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I7u_XLtFa0
Enjoy!
-mb
Mo-
It's impt to keep in mind that all of these politicos, Dems or GOP, are completely full of shit. Then you won't be confused by what happens. All their "thinking" (there's a joke) is ad hoc. They don't know what they think, or what they are doing, and they don't know shit from Shinola (a saying from when I was a kid).
Arnie-
Thanks for stopping by. I very much enjoyed your studies on the rise and fall of civilizations. Meanwhile, some thoughts on the new war, and our drifting toward a Suez moment. In metallurgy, the word "integrity" refers to the ability of a metal to maintain its intended function; to endure, in short. Continued flexing back and forth of a metal erodes its integrity, until it breaks, or can no longer function. America has sustained war after war, and defeat after defeat, and continues to bounce back--but, I wd maintain, in an increasingly weaker condition. It can't keep doing this forever; the financial analogy wd be, living off of capital. Sooner or later, it will exhaust itself--even if only from an economic pt of view. We don't have infinite resources, after all. There is also a spiritual erosion that is operating, a kind of degradation, such that morale eventually reaches a very low pt. I think the word "asymptote" might be relevant here; or if I may coin a phrase, "exponential stupidity." (Cf. a film from 1994 called "Dumb and Dumber")
-mb