Mr. McGrogan. I can't remember how I stumbled across your Substack; nor had I heard of you before, despite keeping a close ear to the ground on "non-standard" (for lack of a better phrase" political commentators. And yes, Substack has provided me with many
So many thanks for your articles; struggling with long screen reading, I always print them off to read as and when. And find myself very much in agreement with your writing.
Many thanks. I'm 73, and never, even during the worst of Blair's assault on the UK, imagined that what we are now seeing would come to pass. Making a Soviet style Politburo apparatchik, already known for his mendacity and amoral behaviour, to be our Great Leader, was not a good move. He may have a huge electoral mandate, but as only one in five voted for Labour, he has no moral mandate for what he is unleashing on us. But for the amoral, a moral mandate or the lack thereof, means nothing.
Thanks Jeremy. Yes, later than we thought indeed - I was expecting Labour to at least spend a year or two governing sensibly so as to avoid scaring the horses!
Starmer. The man is a blank with only ideology behind him. And he must have assembled the stupidest cabinet ever. Perhaps the only positive is that rather than his desired 1000 year Reich, it should be just five years. But time enough to do immense damage, most of all to our constitution and Parliamentary sovereignty - a game of course started by Blair.
"The Brill Building songwriter Carl Sigman wrote this with his good friend Herb Magidson (writer of the first Academy Award-winning song, "The Continental"). Sigman's son Michael tells the story in The Carl Sigman Songbook:"
Unfortunately I think you are completely right, David.
And I think it is at least in part a consequence of plenty and prosperity. When you are fighting a war, or facing power cuts, or struggling to find food, the "feel good factor" tends to get cast aside. What will jerk people out of their sunset-contemplating reverie will be when real hardship strikes the country.
It is interesting to speculate what might do this. It could be a war, but for my money, it's going to be net zero driven power cuts. When the lights go off, things are going to get very unpleasant for the likes of Ed Miliband.
The Greek Philosopher Epicurus (341 - 270 BC) advised to stay away from politics, as it leads to perturbation and status seeking. Rather, one should live "in obscurity" and not draw attention to oneself. People haven't changed that much and his philosophy is still wise and current. If more people would take this 2500 year old advise, we would live in a much nicer world, I'm sure.
Thank you for this article it feels really important. What i took away:
The elites appear to be behaving irrationally. Why has confused me for years
They actually are just being irrational! But they sure feel good about their dreams for the world
Trying to tell anyone (who believes) so is a massive buzzkill and feelz bad to them so they'll deny all evidence and demonise you. And they've got loads of freinds back at base who'll support their worldview
This aint gonna stop because of rational argument. So better decide how to act given its gonna go on for an unpredictable time, probably a long time
This is perhaps your most brilliant, shining moment, David. The reasoning is marvellous. Some quotes, if I may:
"People are not animated by their own ideas, and such associations are not amalgamations of the individualised visions of all of their participants; rather the opposite."
"Rather, what they believe comes to them through ‘communion’ with others who they know to have a similar emotional response to the world around them."
"not in the manner of a debate club who arrive at a conclusion about a discussion topic, but in the manner of a crowd of dancers raising their hands in unison at a rave."
"not the feeling of being moved by seeing children playing, but the feeling that, in being moved by such scene, one is thereby united with all of right-thinking humanity in being so moved."
"And it is also because it rapidly accelerates the forward motion of Hauriou’s railroad express, by shortening the gap between moments of communion to the timespan between the last time one looked at one’s phone and the current second."
And the inevitable conclusions:
"Rather, it is just that politics matters less when people are devoting their attention to their extended families, religious institutions, and communal activities - and matters more when they do not attend to such matters"
Bang on! Bravo. I wonder if you haven't put your finger on the mainspring of decadence and the fall of empires.
Another factor is cliodynamics - the theory that there is a cycle of Elites. An elite comes to power and 'rules' for a time, then an excess of elite children chase fewer elite jobs. The competition for elite jobs becomes disorderly, the old Elite flail trying to restore order, and a period of chaos ensues until a new Elite emerges from the mess.
This cycle takes around 70 years (in the USA) and arguably we are now in a period of chaos between Elites. To extend the express train analogy further more and more First Class carriages have been added, resulting in more drag and greater instability.
I am generally sceptical about theories of history but there’s no doubt that human civilisation has a cyclical quality. It’s Voltaire’s old suggestion that history is just the sound of silk slippers descending a staircase and hobnailed boots coming up from below.
For me its a call to individual resilience. Not the strength of character sort but the prepper sort. Where would you go and how would it work legally, financially, culturally if you needed to leave? We know this is quietly happening already, dont we... I fancy somewhere Catholic, maybe South America
Mr. McGrogan. I can't remember how I stumbled across your Substack; nor had I heard of you before, despite keeping a close ear to the ground on "non-standard" (for lack of a better phrase" political commentators. And yes, Substack has provided me with many
So many thanks for your articles; struggling with long screen reading, I always print them off to read as and when. And find myself very much in agreement with your writing.
Many thanks. I'm 73, and never, even during the worst of Blair's assault on the UK, imagined that what we are now seeing would come to pass. Making a Soviet style Politburo apparatchik, already known for his mendacity and amoral behaviour, to be our Great Leader, was not a good move. He may have a huge electoral mandate, but as only one in five voted for Labour, he has no moral mandate for what he is unleashing on us. But for the amoral, a moral mandate or the lack thereof, means nothing.
Enjoy yourself, it's later than you thought...
Thanks Jeremy. Yes, later than we thought indeed - I was expecting Labour to at least spend a year or two governing sensibly so as to avoid scaring the horses!
Starmer. The man is a blank with only ideology behind him. And he must have assembled the stupidest cabinet ever. Perhaps the only positive is that rather than his desired 1000 year Reich, it should be just five years. But time enough to do immense damage, most of all to our constitution and Parliamentary sovereignty - a game of course started by Blair.
Off with their heads
Certainly the least thoughtful or educated Cabinet ever - it’s an outrage that the likes of Rayner and Lammy are MPs, let alone in ministerial posts.
His and many others - many way before him, such as Guy Lombardo, and my favourite version by Doris Day. Yup. I'm a boomer...
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/guy-lombardo/enjoy-yourself-its-later-than-you-think
"The Brill Building songwriter Carl Sigman wrote this with his good friend Herb Magidson (writer of the first Academy Award-winning song, "The Continental"). Sigman's son Michael tells the story in The Carl Sigman Songbook:"
Unfortunately I think you are completely right, David.
And I think it is at least in part a consequence of plenty and prosperity. When you are fighting a war, or facing power cuts, or struggling to find food, the "feel good factor" tends to get cast aside. What will jerk people out of their sunset-contemplating reverie will be when real hardship strikes the country.
It is interesting to speculate what might do this. It could be a war, but for my money, it's going to be net zero driven power cuts. When the lights go off, things are going to get very unpleasant for the likes of Ed Miliband.
Yeah, the exact mechanism is hard to predict - though I sort of suspect it will be something that nobody is expecting.
The Greek Philosopher Epicurus (341 - 270 BC) advised to stay away from politics, as it leads to perturbation and status seeking. Rather, one should live "in obscurity" and not draw attention to oneself. People haven't changed that much and his philosophy is still wise and current. If more people would take this 2500 year old advise, we would live in a much nicer world, I'm sure.
Unfortunately politics comes and find us all, sooner or later….
Thank you for this article it feels really important. What i took away:
The elites appear to be behaving irrationally. Why has confused me for years
They actually are just being irrational! But they sure feel good about their dreams for the world
Trying to tell anyone (who believes) so is a massive buzzkill and feelz bad to them so they'll deny all evidence and demonise you. And they've got loads of freinds back at base who'll support their worldview
This aint gonna stop because of rational argument. So better decide how to act given its gonna go on for an unpredictable time, probably a long time
Oh dear 😦
Yes - they actually are just being irrational. It really is that simple!
This is perhaps your most brilliant, shining moment, David. The reasoning is marvellous. Some quotes, if I may:
"People are not animated by their own ideas, and such associations are not amalgamations of the individualised visions of all of their participants; rather the opposite."
"Rather, what they believe comes to them through ‘communion’ with others who they know to have a similar emotional response to the world around them."
"not in the manner of a debate club who arrive at a conclusion about a discussion topic, but in the manner of a crowd of dancers raising their hands in unison at a rave."
"not the feeling of being moved by seeing children playing, but the feeling that, in being moved by such scene, one is thereby united with all of right-thinking humanity in being so moved."
"And it is also because it rapidly accelerates the forward motion of Hauriou’s railroad express, by shortening the gap between moments of communion to the timespan between the last time one looked at one’s phone and the current second."
And the inevitable conclusions:
"Rather, it is just that politics matters less when people are devoting their attention to their extended families, religious institutions, and communal activities - and matters more when they do not attend to such matters"
Bang on! Bravo. I wonder if you haven't put your finger on the mainspring of decadence and the fall of empires.
Thanks for the kind comment, mate!
So true. We live in interesting times...
Another factor is cliodynamics - the theory that there is a cycle of Elites. An elite comes to power and 'rules' for a time, then an excess of elite children chase fewer elite jobs. The competition for elite jobs becomes disorderly, the old Elite flail trying to restore order, and a period of chaos ensues until a new Elite emerges from the mess.
This cycle takes around 70 years (in the USA) and arguably we are now in a period of chaos between Elites. To extend the express train analogy further more and more First Class carriages have been added, resulting in more drag and greater instability.
I am generally sceptical about theories of history but there’s no doubt that human civilisation has a cyclical quality. It’s Voltaire’s old suggestion that history is just the sound of silk slippers descending a staircase and hobnailed boots coming up from below.
High quality rhetoric that deserves a considered response.
For me its a call to individual resilience. Not the strength of character sort but the prepper sort. Where would you go and how would it work legally, financially, culturally if you needed to leave? We know this is quietly happening already, dont we... I fancy somewhere Catholic, maybe South America