Tag: We Are So Fucked

The ‘Woke’ Agenda Is Extremely Corrosive To American Politics


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Let me be clear — I fucking hate the MAGA New Right with a white hot rage. And think of the following as gentle advice to people I otherwise agree with. I’m far more anti-MAGA than I am liberal, progressive or Leftist. But I’m willing to make common cause with liberals, progressives and fuck, even Leftists if that’s what I have to do to destroy the MAGA New Right as an American political movement.

But we have to talk about how corrosive the “woke” agenda is to American politics. It’s corrosive because it’s being used as a political bludgeon by the fucking fascists to destroy any chance that Traditionalists will ever do what is necessary to save American democracy — make common cause with anti-MAGA forces.

In fact, in a way, I fear that ship has sailed. The MAGA New Right is ascendant and dominate when it comes to the hard power of passing laws. As it stands, in real terms, woke people are just annoying. But we have to address that a lot of well meaning Traditionalists feel that because of the “woke agenda” they risk being “canceled” — having their lives ruined — simply because they’re conservative.

This is a real concern on a personal basis for the conservative Traditionalists in my family. The idea of something they say or do being recorded then going viral and they having their lives destroyed is constantly at the forefront of their minds. This ever-present terror is one of the central reasons why they will never, ever make common cause with Anti-MAGA forces.

So, in a sense, we’re fucked. Fucked. Fucked. Fucked.

The two sides haven hardened their stances to the point that either we become an autocracy or we have a civil war. In either stance, I suspect the whole “woke agenda” will drift out of existence and into the aether. Being woke is a luxury of peace, prosperity and a properly functioning Western democracy with a civil society.

If you’re too busy either evading ICE or bombs, well, quibbling over your pronouns isn’t something that’s as at the front of your mind. Twitter is to blame for this cluckerfuck, to some extent.

Twitter always takes the most extreme position of any issue and then people on either side have that have to fight over it. I just don’t see any “normal” ending to all of this.

Things are going to get bumpy, staring the moment Republicans take the House and Senate in January 2023.

The Fucking Political Apocalypse That Would Be Justice Clarence Thomas Vacating His Seat Soon


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Everything is so fucking dumb politically in the United States right now that should Justice Clarence Thomas unexpectedly leave SCOTUS for some reason, it could very well be the catalyst for a Second American Civil War.

Ok, maybe not that.

But it would suck. Republicans are already chomping at the bit to establish a fascist autocracy in the United States, the idea that the drift in that direction that seems inevitable at this point, that or a civil war, might see a little bit of a hiccup would just be too much for them.

The first thing they would think, of course, is that the Deep State was responsible and, as such, they might feel obliged to strike back at major “Deep State” figures. That, in turn, could potentially turn into round after round of more and more escalation until the fucking Second American Civil War happens — or at least, something that is marketed as that by the press.

Or, put another way, the vitral on the part of the MAGA New Right at the prospect of an African American taking the Thomas seat who wasn’t a toady to the MAGA New Right itself would just be too much for them. They would explode in rage and hate and would might potentially at least attempt to burn everything to the ground rather than have it happen.

At a minimum, a vacant Thomas seat would be another bolt popping off Engine America. We’re careening towards a very dark fucking future. The only question at this point is if we peacefully slip into autocracy or we bomb ourselves into fucking oblivion as part of a civil war.

WW3: What Is Belarus Up To?


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I saw something rather alarming on Twitter today –apparently, there is a growing belief that the Belarusians are going to attack Ukraine in the west. This is a “not great, Bob” moment because one might make the assumption that such an attack would be directed against the city of Lviv.

What the what?

Add to this that such an attack would hug the border between Ukraine and NATO, holy shit, it makes you think that Putin through his Bealrusian proxies really is in his fuck around and find out phase of the Russo-Ukrainian Winter War. (Which, if it last much longer, I’m going to have to get rid of the “winter” part of its designation.)

It makes you wonder. Is it possible WW3 has started and we just don’t know it yet? Does Putin want a direct war with NATO? Such an idea, on paper, makes absolutely no sense. In fact, it only makes any sense in the context of Russia forming some sort of Axis with China, the DPRK and Iran.

Otherwise, what the what?

We’re reaching a point where we’re sort of in a make or break moment in recent modern world history. Either Putin escalates in a rather dramatic fashion and we see the end of the WW2 liberal order and something akin to WW3, or we punt the structural problems of the modern geopolitical world down the road until the United States answers its autocracy or civil war question in the 2024 – 2025 timeframe.

Thankfully — I guess — we’re probably going to get our answer as to what’s going to happen next with a matter of days or weeks. Things are too unstable. Either Putin loses, or in a desperate effort to win he destroys everything.

WW3: A Russo-Sino Axis & The End Of Pax Americana


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

After decades of being half-away awake, history is now wide awake and ready to boogie. As part of that suddenly being awake, we face the prospect of the Russians and the Chinese making common cause against Pax Americana. This new Axis might also, along the way recruit Iran and the DPRK.

For the moment, this is rather fanciful.

China has a vested interest — for the time being — in Pax Americana existing so it can slowly rise peacefully within its context. The Chinese are very smart. They know they’re not quite ready to strike in a big away against, say Taiwan, so, lulz, let the Americans have a circle jerk over cancel culture without any major regional war in Asia to worry about.

And, yet, the case could be made that China might see what’s going on between Russia and Ukraine and think NOW is the time to strike. The United States is historically weakened by internal division and the careening existential choice of autocracy or civil war in the 2024 – 2025 time frame.

It’s possible that at some point in the near future all of us will be surprised when there’s a geopolitical tet-a-tet between Putin and Xi and the entire world’s post-WW2 liberal order collapses. China will send Russia arms for its war against Ukraine and Russia will sell China oil. Meanwhile, Xi could lean on the DPRK to attack the South Koreans as some sort of geopolitical distraction for the Americans so China can attack Taiwan.

The Iranians attack Israel and or Iraq to get in on the fun.

Remember, there are no assurances the Good Guys — us — would win such a new series of regional wars, or something that the press would call WW3. It could be that the United States either becomes a MAGA Fortress America or has a civil war and, as such, a new Age of Autocracies is established.

Or, it’s possible that a few billion people during a WW3 for various reasons and when we come out the other side with something akin to United Earth. The process of getting to that point would suck royally, but in the end humanity might find the wherewithal to save itself from itself.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Should Go On The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast



by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’ve always thought Joe Rogan was something of a grifter when it came to giving otherwise alienated men something to latch onto. Just because you’re earnest in your masculinity, doesn’t excuse you if you show signs of misogyny, racism or fascism.

But here we are, Rogan is hugely popular in large because a lot of men are struggling to adapt to this strange new world we live in where many “woke” people think that, by definition, being male is bad. Slay the patriarchy and all that.

Then there is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine. He gives me hope as a man because he doesn’t have any gimmick like Joe Rogan. He’s just a dude doing traditional dude stuff in a traditional dude manner. So, it makes me wonder what would happen if Rogan in all of his earnest masculinity were to interview Zelenskyy.

I think in the end, Rogan would be a puppy dog to Zelenskyy. I say this because Rogan doesn’t have the weight that Zelenskyy has and he’s always angling in to come across as reasonable, even he’s interviewing a fucking bonkers fascist. As such, Rogan frames his conversations in a way that grades people who are demonstrably bad so they they seem just misunderstood.

There is a reason why Rogan is a alt-right, New Right, MAGA gateway drug. He has a tendency to want it both ways — he wants to have power and yet when it gets called on some dumb thing he says, he does a Jon Stewart and says, ‘Why are you listening to me in the first place?”

Anyway, it would definitely be illuminative for Rogan to interview Zelenskyy. Hopefully the war will be over soon so that can happen.

The Republican Politics Of Nihilism


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

What’s interesting to me is how Republicans have so gamed the system that now it’s impossible to talk about some pretty big issues — gun control, global climate change and racism being among them. They’re off the table, never to be addressed or spoke about ever again.

And, sad to say, it’s possible that once Roe is overturned, they will do the same thing with not only abortion rights, but contraception in general. Because that’s the ultimate goal of fascist Republicans — to make it impossible for people to have sex without the risk of pregnancy. Gay rights, too, are probably going to get wrapped up in the Republican politics of nihilism.

Or, in other words — anything Republicans don’t want to talk about will become impossible to talk about.

That will be the last step before we have the existential choice of civil war or autocracy. Another step in that direction will be when someone hurts someone like, say, Dr. Fauci and Republicans talk about how after years of talking about him like he’s the devil, now is not the time for politics, but “thoughts and prayers.”

Anyway, the point is — we’re fucked. We are so completely fucked that you had better enjoy these last few months of normal life before the Republicans regain the House and Senate and all we do is talk about how many times both Biden and Harris have been impeached.

It’s coming. And it’s not going to be pretty.

How I Would Pitch A ‘New Masculinity’ Book


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m going to shut up about this very soon, but occasionally it takes a few days for one of my ideas to work itself out of my mind. Anyway, the problem with anything like a “New Masculinity” book is because of the woke media narrative we live with, any book that addresses traditional male gender roles in a positive way will be attacked and derided.

The freaky weirdos have won, if you will. (Wink.)

Now, some context. I only even talk about this in this way because I’m growing more and more alarmed by the rise of the fascist MAGA New Right in the United States. One way to slow down — but not stop — the existential choice of fascist autocracy or civil war in the general 2024 – 2025 timeframe is to give one of core elements of the MAGA New Right, alienated Traditionalists men, something to embrace.

In other words, anything to do with traditional male gender roles is a fucking clusterfuck of different groups feeling they have the right to control what that even means. Or, put another way, if someone were to articulate a New Masculinity, then maybe you could walk all Joe Rogan fans off the cliff they’re on where they’re one step away from embracing fascism.

Rather than addressing the issue head on, I think I would hide the notion of New Masculinity in a leadership book. In the male mind, leadership is equated with a traditional male concept. (Even though this is obviously wrong — women make great leaders.)

But the audience for this book would be a college educated Rogan fan. You take something they like — Rogan’s earnest masculinity — and instead of that being a gateway drug into fascism, you give them the option of framing modern masculinity — and leadership — in the context of people like Washington, Lincoln, TR, FDR, Churchill and Zelensky.

So, in a sense, using subtext, you tell these professional men — who should know better about being MAGA New Right -that it’s ok to be a Traditional male in the modern, woke era. You use Zelensky as an avatar, a totem for modern male leadership.

Anyway. Absolutely no one listens to me. And I’m sure if they listened to me with this suggestion I’ll be canceled.

The New Masculinity Manifesto


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

According to the current media narrative, using traditional male concepts as part of traditional male behavior is something to disparage. I’m very empathetic to the crux of this argument.

Zelenskyy

And, yet, just like the slogan “defund the police” is really more about “demilitarizing the police,” so, too, is “slay the patriarchy” really more about the male dominating world being forced to accept the equality of women on a basic level than destroying the world of men in its entirety. (At least, I hope so, for my own sake. Yikes.)

But both slogans are easily corrupted by the MAGA New Right as a bludgeon against a very crucial element of any democracy’s body politic — conservative Traditionalist men.

With this in mind, the conventional wisdom among Blue Check thought leaders in the West at the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian Winter War was that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, would fold and run away from Kyiv to a more secure location like Lviv in the western part of the country.

But this did not happen.

Instead, Zelenskyy did a very traditional male leader thing — he stood and fought.

That Zelenskyy would do something so basic, so human, so traditional, so masculine without the benefit of a flipping the script in any way came across as something of a shock to Western observers. Zelenskyy was just a traditional male doing traditional things in a traditional way. There was nothing particularly innovative about his leadership style other than it existed and he as just a regular guy doing leading his people in a time of crisis.

This definitely goes against the woke narrative where the only way we can accept leadership is if there is some spicy twist to things. Zelenskyy is not transgendered, nor does he quibble about his pronouns (as far as I know.) He’s just a dude.

So, I propose some discourse over the possibility of what I call New Masculinity. This would be an acceptance that we can both validate and update traditional male concepts without going out of our way to alinate Traditionalist men who are so enraged by the woke agenda that they turn to nothing short of fascism — the MAGA New Right.

It seems to me that there is a possibility that the entire Western world is careening towards a moment when the type of male leadership that Zelenskyy has displayed will be desperately needed. It does not take a soothsayer to notice how unstable the United States is growing and the high risk of a “Great Reset” or “Fourth Turning” around the 2024 – 2025 timeframe.

Maybe we could use Zelenskyy as something of an avatar, a totem that Traditionalists men could imbue with their own, non-woke narrative. I have my doubts that this Hail Mary plot to take the steam out of the misogynistic MAGA New Right will work. But it is something to at least discuss.

The reason I’m doubtful is what I’m proposing is nuanced and subtle. In the extreme polarization of Blue and Red that America currently exists in, the moment Traditionalists adopted my plan, Woke culture would freak the fuck out. Woke people would make fun of the New Masculinity and deride it for not being attune enough to the needs of the modern world. Slay the patriarchy, and all that, don’t you know.

But the New Masculinity of Zelenskyy does produce results. It seems as though Zelenskyy may soon be mentioned in the same breath as Lincoln, FDR and Churchill. He is doing what needs to be done to save his nation from tyranny.

The truly surreal element of all of this is, of course, that because the MAGA New Right is so beholden to the dream of a Russian-style autocratic white Christian ethno state for America, they are wilfully oblivious to the benefits of adopting Zelenskyy as their own.

As I said, I doubt anything will come of this. And if it does, it will probably be corrupted for selfish reasons so it seen as nothing more than the 90s Men’s Movement with a different name or, even worse, some variation of the freaky weirdo Incel movement. But, again, Zelenskyy’s bravery in the face of adversity at least opens the door to some discourse on how he might be an icon for New Masculinity.

‘New Masculinity’ & The Zelensky Zeitgeist


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

American men have, for about a generation now, been derided and castigated as part of the monovalent “patriarchy.” It all kind of creeped up on us. Now, I’m coming at this issue as a rabid anti-MAGA New Right person. I fucking hate MAGA with a white hot rage, to the point that I’m writing five novels that lay out — in subtext — how and why I fucking hate the movement so much.

Zelensky

Anyway.

The point is –I’m very empathetic to women who want to “slay the patriarchy.” And, yet, the point could be made that “slay the patriarchy” is kind of like “defund the police.” It is a slogan that is easily used to get a crucial element of the body politic — “Traditionalists” to join the fucking MAGA New Right and destroy that precious commodity known as democracy.

And, remember, it is actually pretty rare for there to be a “vibe shift” in the way men perceive themselves. The thing that would tip off a vibe shift — how men appear — isn’t really applicable. Dudes are dudes. Either you’re wearing a suit to work and have power and influence or you don’t.

So, I’ve sat up and taken notice at how it’s beginning to look as though the standard, traditional masculinity of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is beginning to show results. What’s key about all of this is he doesn’t follow the current American media narrative about what it means to be masculine. If this was a Hollywood movie, Zelensky would be a woman struggling to run a nation while “slaying the patriarchy.”

But, surprise, he’s a dude doing traditional dude things in a traditional dude way. There’s no plot twist or flipping the script. It’s the traditional narrative of a man rising to the occasion on the world state in an effort to protect the collective home and hearth of his besieged nation.

So, we now have something of a cultural and historical question before us. Is this just a blip as part of a broader, macro trend towards traditional male values continuing to be disparaged or is there a change that we’re on the cusp of a “New Masculinity” that harkens back to the leadership of Lincoln, FDR and Churchill.

I honestly don’t know. For that to happen, I think we would have to actually have, like, uh, WW3. Only a major global war would force us to appricate the value of traditional male roles and concepts. I’ve already suggested something along these lines when I posited that our current “woke” culture will end around 2024 – 2025 when we decide as a nation if we’re going to be an autocracy or have a civil war.

So, I don’t know. It’s all very much up in the air. It could go either way.

Unpacking The MAGA New Right’s Obsession With A Second Revolution


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

An element of the rhetorical political froth within the MAGA New Right is the idea that if “woke” people don’t watch out, the South Will Rise Again and there will be some sort of, I don’t know, Turner Diaries in real life. Now, all of this is very, very dumb.

To me, what really is going on is MAGA New Right people get so worked up whenever their fee-fees get hurt over this or that “woke” policy that they grasp for the worst possible thing they can think of. They babble about a Second Civil War or even Second Revolution. They see themselves as Patriots who will take down the “tyranny” of people who want them to wear masks and quibble out pronouns.

There is so much to unpack here.

First, collectively, the MAGA New Right is made up of racist cock sucker peices of shit. They’re scared of a changing America where women are economically and sexually liberated and white people are no longer the majority. In short, they’re kind of freaking out. Now, on an individual basis most of the conservative people I know — and am related to — aren’t racist. But they are a part of systemic racism. I can’t talk about that, however, because that’s Critical Race Theory and, I don’t know, the Thought Police division of ICE is going to swoop down and murder me in cold blood if I write about it anymore.

The craziest part of all of this is, when it comes to the hard power of the government making laws, the MAGA New Right is ascendant. They control huge swaths of the government and after we finally decide civil war or autocracy in 2024 – 2025, may have autocratic control in the United States for decades, generations, to come.

But there is a chance that there will, instead be a civil war. And it won’t be the MAGA New Right that starts it, but rather the center-Left when Blue States — staring with California — leave the Union because of some sort of Certification Crisis.

THEN, it’s possible the fucking cocksucker MAGA New Right fuckheads will get ot have their revolution in the context of a civil war, though in all honesty, even then it would probably be a COUNTER-Revolution.

Anyway, the point is — we’re fucked. Totally, completely fucked. If the US collapses, then WW3 really would start soon after. Then the issue is how many people die and what the world will look like after the “Great Reset” of a “Fourth Turning” is over.

Is humanity more united, or simply run by a bunch of fucking autocrats? Only time will tell.