#31: NO LOOKING BACK
This Week: The Reconstructionists- A World Order is Taking Shape
~5 MIN
NTL’ers: I go deep and philosophical today.
THE GREEK MYTHOLOGY OF ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE is one of love, loss and the danger of dwelling on the past. Orpheus, a legendary musician and poet, deeply loves his Eurydice, a woman of grace and beauty. Tragically, Eurydice is bitten by a snake and dies shortly after their wedding. Overcome with grief, the bereaved Orpheus journeys to the Underworld, determined to bring her back to life.
Moved by his plea and the beauty of his music, Hades, the god of the Underworld, agrees to allow Eurydice to return with Orpheus to the world of the living with one crucial condition: Orpheus must not look back at Eurydice until they have both completely exited the Underworld. As they ascend full of exuberance about a future they thought not possible, doubt creeps in for Orpheus. Just before they reach the surface, Orpheus, anxious and fearful, turns to ensure Eurydice is still with him. Tragically violating Hades' only request, Eurydice is immediately pulled back and lost forever.
REFLECTION is pondering life’s events and seeking guidance, correction and wisdom from decisions made. It is the power to not make the same mistake twice.
LOOKING BACK is yearning for a time that has passed.
I THRIVED DURING COVID (2020-2021). Time slowed and time with family and friends increased. Travel disappeared. New habits were formed. As an advisor and consultant, I felt useful professionally and personally. I do recognize not everyone thrived, and pain and loss endured for many. For those, I’m sorry.
THIS IS HOW I SEE IT:
Pre-2020 “old era”: The old world which I was so familiar and successful in, died.
2020-2021 “artificial era”: Governments and society experimented with vaccines, elections and printing money. Tremendous achievements were offset by many mistakes. I thrived.
2022-2024 “era of confusion”: Despite solid macroeconomic indications, the immediate post-Covid world has been a chaotic, unpredictable, non-sensical mess full of unintended consequences, many of which are coming due. I have not enjoyed it.
2025 and beyond “era of AIdventure”: A world order is taking certain form. For the first time since 2019, I’m seeing more chaos now, less chaos later for society girded by AI. Opportunities are soon to be everywhere as technology sweeps into every area of life. Old debts will come due. This promises to be the most challenging of the eras. Probably the most challenging of my life - and yours. It is a civilization moment.
A CIVILIZATION MOMENT is where the trending culture of a collective society comes into conflict with the core beliefs of citizens. This moment is a fork in the road.
Civilization means the values of more than one country and more than one people.
Moment means the tension introduced must be released either through reform, reconstruction and/or war.
Can we reconstruct without war? I’m not sure. Can we reform? No, I do not believe so.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING VERY QUICKLY. VERY QUICKLY.
You need to pay attention and engage. A civilization moment is in its nascent stages. Momentum - hard to get, hard to stop - has been gathering for some time but it has become unleashed.
This momentum is a feeling I’ve had percolating and now is validated with actions I’m witnessing.
For me, this is more than a MAGA takeover in the U.S. It is more. My epiphany has led to reflection - what’s really happening in the world and what does it mean for me, my family, my community?
ON THE SURFACE IS…
A new, cult-of-personality American President, revered and rejected globally
A wild (and maybe even effective!?) approach to cutting America’s dangerous expense structure while consumers keep spending
An effort to curtail American centrality in foreign conflicts
A perception that “corrupt elites” are running everything (e.g. governments, corporations, etc.)
China, Russia, Iran all weakened and threatened
The left reeling, rudderless
Certain citizenry obliviousness
Anger and fear by everyone else
You’ve likely felt and/or seen this too. This is not controversial.
YOU NEED TO DOUBLE CLICK to something deeper, nuanced and important that is reshaping the world. It is happening with a speed that is almost imperceptible, with many citizens unconscious to its implications. The patterns are revealing themselves to me with increasing frequency, informed by conversations with friends at home and abroad, in certain media, in writings/pods/books and at gatherings. The following is an attempt to capture.
I SEE:
A rejection of the left’s post-modernism, the idea that Western values are insufficient for our modern society.
A rejection of America in decline.
A rejection of wokeness, the DEI disease that devalues individual merit, increases racism and imperils free speech.
A rejection of atheism, a God-less, soul-less society independent from the divine.
A rejection of fealty climate science that imposes arbitrary controls, destroys economies and holds those less fortunate in bondage in exchange for sub-marginal results while holding global competitors to lower standards.
A rejection of the rejection of fossil fuels.
A rejection of censorship and the restriction of the free flow of ideas.
A rejection of over-regulation that threatens competitive advantage and common sense.
A rejection of AI as a civilization-ender instead of its rightful position as civilization-enhancer.
A rejection of globalization as “certain and permanent,” global citizenship, the U.N., the World Economic Forum and open borders.
A rejection of trusting the government to provide citizens with truth, like the origin of the COVID-19 virus.
A rejection of false media narratives, unapologetic (or oblivious) in their bias.
A rejection of fragile supply lines which can only be solved with closer, more affordable power generation.
A rejection of the norms, institutions, regulations, leaders, systems, rules of engagement that have kept us safe, secure and our economy growing.
A rejection of the emasculation of our boys and men.
A rejection of the fringe in service to the core, a statement that could suffice for the entire section.
This is very different from the direction society has been headed.
Renzi is being very political here, you may be thinking. Though perhaps provocative, I do not intend for these to be political statements though they have political characteristics. There are certainly shadow arguments for each of the rejections, some of which are worth debating.
READ THIS: What I wrote above is already happening. I’m calling these realities up to your consciousness. It is important for you to recognize these rejections are getting more forceful and more public and will only increase in the months ahead. You need to pay attention and plot for yourself the implications and new risks introduced.
What is your action plan?
HOW DID AMERICANS GET HERE? By boat. A group of pioneers left Europe and adventured across the sea. They brought with them their ideas, their religion and the unrotten underpinnings of Western European society. They anchored their thinking to Judeo-Christian values and the timeless canon of ancient Greece and Rome. They built a society on these values that all men are created equal and we the people. They wrote a document that is the greatest expression and guardian of freedom and liberty known to man.
And then, these values were rejected in whole or part. There is light to all darkness, so regaling the dark without proper attribution to the light isn’t helpful, but long story short somewhere along the way we got lost. What is happening now is the painful path back.
IF YOU BELIEVE THIS TO BE TRUE,
A CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR IS REQUIRED.
Self-sacrifice will be required. There will be many moments ahead where help is needed and citizens must rise to the occasion in the face of opposition at home and abroad.
A strong voice will be required. The failed ideas of our generation will not go lightly. Censorship and nihilism will be on display and a strong voice of one only speeds up the self-sacrifice but small platoons can deploy. Jesus did it with 12.
A command of history will be required. There is nothing new under the sun and a cheat sheet exists in our holy books, our philosophy books our history books and with our elders.
A belief in abundance will be required. Fear of a rapidly changing future where climate and AI take us out is a bad strategy. These are tensions to be managed, not solved. Abundance comes with action.
An anchoring of values - mine and yours - will be required. Write them down, talk to your family about them and put them into action.
A strong sense of humor will be required. Murphy’s Law says what can go wrong, will. There is a weight to this post, but with faith and a smile, the burden is light.
MY WILLIAM WALLACE MOMENT* or maybe just a solid first draft of a purpose statement for this unnamed, not fully organized nascent movement
The Reconstructionist Movement (The RECONs):
To reconstruct western civilization in the image of God and anchored to the ancient wisdom and truths which have delivered us peace, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness for all citizens. Together, we build once again.
Faith improves my life. Here is a verse I like from the Bible:
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
QUOTES WORTH READING:
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
“Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword.”
—Gandalf says to Théoden, King of Rohan
~IT IS NEVER TOO LATE~
*No, I’m not running for anything.
**Go ahead and leave comments. Let’s see if we can learn something together.
It’s a great question Joshua. As Craig Amick notes, we are deeply divided by identity politics, so I’m not confident at all “repair” is possible as that would seem to indicate some level of agreement was reached. And it certainly seems as though our current administration agrees, as they ardently seek reform. What I find interesting about reform though, in my limited world view, is the more interested you are in reform, the less likely you are to have experienced the other side [insert your favorite revolution here]. I generally find younger generations are far more willing to say,”Blow it up” with having no concept of what it entails to put something back together again. Reread Craig Amick’s line about identity politics.
A big take away for me - was Renzi’s use of the word “sacrifice”, in his line self sacrifice will be required. Really? What does that mean? To me, perhaps, it is bravely living out my Christian faith in a way I’ve not done before and accepting the outcome, which from a classic worldview is not likely to be positive. But whether I do something or nothing - the action is the same - pray, watch, listen, grow in wisdom and find like minded brethren to surround myself with.
Joshua - I’d put a heart emoji on your definition of society if I could, love that.
Renzi stepped out bravely! Not a surprise and most admirable. Not sprinkles but shovel full batch of going forward perspectives. I agree.
“A Democratic country slips” by slipping away from its foundations of faith based Christianity, individual achievement and common sense. Rightfully and just in time, the catastrophe brought upon our country by the corrupt puppets Zerobama, Pelosi, and Clueless Joe via their woke handlers has been halted, as Renzi smartly described. Thanks for pointing out the obvious in NTL 31. Chuck Hixson