the next generation – sillysocksonfriday

Hiatus

After I wrote my last blog “Fixing the Hole”, I decided it was a good title for my collection of ‘political’ blogs/rants.

This is the AI summary of that collection:

This collection of blogs comments on the political, moral, and social turbulence since the mid‑2010s, with a recurring theme of Western societies drifting toward authoritarianism and right‑wing populism.

A broad, reflective analysis of contemporary socio-political, economic, and cultural issues from a conservative and somewhat sceptical viewpoint, spanning topics such as consumerism, political leadership, identity politics, global conflicts, and societal values.

It interweaves historical references, personal opinions, and current events to critique modern Western democracies, governance, and cultural trends.

The tone is reflective, sardonic, and often sharply critical of political hypocrisy, media virtue‑signalling, and the erosion of democratic ideals.

There is a mix of intellectual cynicism and dark humour, using historical parallels and vivid metaphors to highlight the absurdities of modern politics.

Foreword

This is a collection of some of my blogs published on sillysocksonfriday.com from 2016 to May 2026.

They are mostly commentaries on what was happening socio-politically in the world, many of which relate to the rise and reign of US President Donald Trump.

There is also a certain amount of acid comment on the rise of woke values and their impact on Western civilisation.

I became acutely conscious of the fact that I wrote in the context of a white person of European extract and that this informed my knowledge, values and loyalties.

It has become apparent to me that the hegemony of western civilisation and values and influence is rapidly waning.

In its way this chronicles stages of its demise as it became more apparent.

I do not believe it can be stopped.

Afterword

As I compiled and edited this bundle of blogs, I realised that it is too late to fix the hole where the rain came in.

Trump is just the inevitable wild dog which emerged from the forest to feast on the corpses of the American Empire and western civilisation as a whole.

The 4^th Industrial Revolution is going to have the same impact on the world as the first and there will be much pain, particularly for the peasants, again.

The reign of the corporate robber barons will supplant that of the robber bankers who pulled Empires strings since at least the Middle Centuries.

They will likely be absorbed into the corporates and challenge leadership there.

Europe and Israel will be abandoned to the hordes from the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia.

Adapt or die, be brave, fortify your villages, talk to each other.

Now you don’t need to buy the book – I regret Amazon’s charges have increased somewhat.

Winding down

The year is almost over – the year end doldrums have set in (in my case that happened about 4 January…)

Even Trump has lost his allure, which is not quite the right word as it omits the whimsical menace of his mind. With a bit of luck the Epstein files will show him clearly as the leering, bullying thug I believe him to be. But I no longer really care.

Imagine if clear evidence of paedophilia by him emerges – will Congress try impeachment again? Don’t bet on it.

I did not do a forecast for 2025 as I have not been very accurate in the past.

But here goes:

There is some hope that the Ukraine war will be resolved soon.

Trump moves could include divorcing NATO, invading Venezuela and annexing Greenland. I do not think he will support Taiwan or other countries China is bashing.

His tariffs are likely to continue. According to CBS News:

Economic growth has surged to its fastest pace in two years, inflation has risen less than feared and the stock market has climbed to fresh highs.

So well done, Donald, despite rising unemployment and prices for the ordinary man in the street remaining high.

Just a random thought about powerful leaders…. Winston Churchill was one.

He too seemed to have bewitched parliament and had some very dubious views and habits….

Here in Australia, with a bit of luck, Albaaneasy and Wrong will continue to be boo’d in public. Realisation that Labor’s narrow focus on renewable energy is excessive will spread to the majority of the population.

In Europe, there are glimmers of stronger, conservative leaders emerging.

Maybe we will see more conversations about compulsory national service.

In Africa, colonial infrastructures continue to crumble and leaders continue to struggle to get fatter as the public purse is swindled. Economic overlords will continue to absorb natural resources.

The winding back of woke regimes will be difficult as practically a whole generation has been infected. Instilling backbone into the wider populace is difficult. Evasion of the issue is the predominant attribute of most.

It will be interesting to see the how far AI will be deployed in governments…

There lies an interesting conundrum: surely forms and applications could all be processed instantaneously by AI! No 2 year average processing times for immigration applications.

Mind you, I would give the administration of justice to AI: lie detectors, no more juries, no more lengthy trials …

Oh and the electoral process too – online voting, instant results; frequent referenda on important issues.

Sorry… getting sidetracked

May the Year of the Horse bring you joy and sufficiency.

Midwinter detour

Well, the birds are courting and building nests here in Australia and Bauhinia are flowering, so we are nearly into Spring.

I found it boring to speculate further about the revolution and rise of fascism in the US. My raging against the woke manias was becoming vaguely repetitive. (I mean, even Jordan Petersen gets a bit much after a while..)

It being Friday, I decided to write about something else. Thank you TED Talks for reminding me of my other favourite interest: the future.

In a Talk about training a butler robot called Neo at home, an important point emphasized : Diversity generates Learning.

It seems that factory training led to robotic expertise in a few skills but not a growth in abilities. Using a home environment to train robots proved to be a good training context.

It seems that already millions are using Replika an app that lets you create AI friends. The developer highlights the dangers that this sort of app can increase the widespread addictions to mobile phones and social media. She urged the development of a metric which emphasized flourishing as opposed to mere engagement or ‘clicks’.

I have written before about AI companions. Woebots are chatbots provide online cognitive behaviour therapy. Digital ghosts are AI-generated avatars of deceased loved ones. Robotic pets respond to voice commands. They provide calming conversations for dementia patients…

The bottom line with all of these ‘helpful’ technologies is moderation and questioning. AI must always be tested before acceptance.

Round … like a circle in a spiral …

I wrote this 19 years ago – it could have been yesterday!

12 February 2006

RACK YOUR BRAINS PEACELOVERS ….and zip your lips!

Greetings Fellow ranters and observers!
I surmise … even vaguely fear … that the world is on the edge of some ghastly global conflict.
The polarisation along traditional Western & Middle Eastern lines with significant religious and colour delineation clearly identify the main parties (the Ayrabs & the Aryans?? oil-rich & the oil poor?? the former colonisers & the formerly colonised??)
My grandfathers (Boer War & WW1) and an uncle (WW2, Malaya etc) were professional soldiers, my father and other uncles were WW2 soldiers, I was a convoy escort in a small bush war in the 70’s. The chances that my children will not be called to serve are dwindling.
Once differences are identified …. it becomes us & them, compromise & middle ground diminish. Conscientious objectors fail to support the cause & just hamper the propaganda of the right side, so Pollyanna ranters & Necktie revolutionaries will be conscripted, interned or shot. Freedoms become unsustainable distractions.
I understand that! Speed, centralisation & efficiency of decision making are essential at such times. War is the way of all animals including mankind. Civilisation merely increases the scope of conflict and its attendant horrors …

What bleak thoughts & such a lack of faith in the power of love!

Tough Love

I have just read “in Cold Blood”, a novel by Truman Capote, based on a real event in Kansas in 1959.

Two petty criminals who met in prison, agreed to rob a rich farmer in Kansas after their release.

They made preparations and an alibi and drove 800 miles, broke in late at night, tied up the four family members. There was no safe. They shot all four victims leaving with just $40 and a portable radio.

All they did leave was a bloody footprint.

They were identified by a former cell mate, who had told them of the rich farmer and been told by them of their plans to rob him

Arrested, they confessed and were tried, duly being sentenced to death.

There was a suggestion that the accused did not feel it was wrong … and that should save them from the noose.

To no avail – they were hanged in 1965 after many appeals.

As was right and just.

Many countries have now abolished the death penalty. Terrible crimes can be punishable by life imprisonment. This can actually mean as little as a dozen years in prison before parole is granted. At huge cost to the State.

I believe that a society that nurtures people who commit ghastly crimes and later releases them is eventually doomed.

If we can’t pull the trigger, we are not up for the job. Remember the Lindt cafe fiasco?

Rehabilitation is an unacceptable gamble.

At the 2021 “Summit for Democracy” President Biden said:

“Today, democracy is under more pressure than at any time since the 1930s…. Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked? Democracy doesn’t happen by accident. We have to renew it with each generation. […] In my view, this is the defining challenge of our time.

President Macron said: ..”… the only political model that allows us to defend these rights and freedoms: democracy” –, adding that the fight was “more necessary than ever”.

Many are beginning to believe that: …the time has come for a world dominated by authoritarian powers, that the historical cycle of freedom has come to an end…..

So we see the surge of influence by authoritarian regimes. They have no compunction in using their power to obliterate opposition.

There, criminals receive short shrift, death penalties are common for all manner of acts. At the same time the sowing of destruction outside borders is actively promoted.

The democratic Western polities struggle mightily with huge issues like the right to declare oneself to be the opposite gender and unfettered rights to abortion.

Governments are unable to say “No”. Police must wear kid gloves to restrain the dangerous and disobedient. They must do so with a compulsory delicate etiquette. Children wreak havoc again and again despite frequent arrest.

Politicians are powerless to act without being pilloried by vociferous public dissent. They seek to keep their positions through the buying of public affection with the reckless disbursement of our revenue.

No wonder we are dissolving into disillusioned leaderless mobs, changing side every week. Soon the demagogues will turn vigilante.

We need some hard leaders who can say:

We will act to solve our problems, despite outcry. We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again.
Stop pussyfooting: squash disorder and crime quickly using the most effective means.
No more public protests stopping traffic. If students fail, they leave university. If they misbehave, they will be expelled. They will repay their loans in full.
The Review Tribunal will clear the Immigration backlog. Illegal entrants will be removed and can appeal from offshore. No more refugees/asylum seekers
Tax carbon emissions; incentivise clean energy systems; let the market prevail.
Minimise imports, maximise home grown
Labour disputes to be resolved by Tribunals.

These are the things I would do if I was PM:

Introduce nuclear power stations
Introduce National Service for all school leavers
Ban gender transition until 18 years of age
Bring back the death penalty for murder, child molestation and drug traffickers
Limit the right to silence, requiring explanations for compelling evidence. I would also dispense with juries
- Media would be banned from interviewing witnesses or accused persons.

WGEA

Workplace Gender Equality Act

Women in Australia earn 28% less than men!

This type of bite size statistic is a hallmark of the sensational disinformation used by identity politicians.

In my last blog, I mentioned that the incoming Labor government had added 26000 jobs to the payroll.

This statistic is the type of work they do

It is illegal to pay women less than men for doing the same work.

Prosecute the bastards that do that! Don’t squeal and puff out meaningless statistics.

More women than men choose to stay home to care for their children and parents.
Fewer women work fewer years than men.
Fewer women work in dangerous and isolated occupations than men.
Fewer women (only 15%*) follow STEM careers

* https://www.industry.gov.au/

Note the above Ministry also collects gender data…

Of course, I am sure that other identity imbalances have not nearly been addressed appropriately. What about the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual, aromantic/agender people ?

(Oh! don’t forget + additional identities that are not included in the acronym).

All of them should have their own departments and compliance legislation too.

Soon only racist, misogynist, misanthropic bigots will not be employed by government!

That’s what Musk’s job is going to be. He will clear out all that ephemeral, flimsy, dangerous and expensive regulatory claptrap.

Purge

At a time when most Western democracies are burdened by disillusion, poor economic and social outcomes and leadership that lacks either conviction or courage, Trump arrives as a giant on the stage of history

In his campaign Trump has promised “… savage public-sector cuts, a reduction in federal bureaucratic numbers, a purging of regulation, cutting taxes…extending tariffs… dismantling environmental obstacles to development, a domestic war on ..identity politics, boosting defence spending..”

If Trump succeeds …

“the governance model for Western democracy will be shaken to its foundations “

Paul Allan Western Australian 16 Nov 2024

A purge will not be before time, I say. And this should pave the way for all Western democracies to see the writing on the wall and change.

For decades governments have swung back and forth from Democrat/Labor to Conservative/Republican. Each victory led to a replacement of supporters and sponsors. The public service bureaucracy grew because each policy promise required an executive department.

Stalin used the Secret Police in his ‘Great Purge’ in Russia from 1936 to 1938. – his methods were a bit drastic -up to 1 million people were killed.

Politicians, intelligentsia, critics, government officials and the army were targeted.

President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order in 1947 to screen federal employees for possible association with organizations deemed “totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive

Primary targets were government employees, prominent figures in the entertainment industry, academics, left-wing politicians, and labor union activists. McCarthy was his hit-man. Public servants were screened…

So now we will see another purge in a democracy, not a totalitarian state ! Interestingly, the same as it was before, it will be the same types and classes of people who will be purged: the bureaucrats, intellectuals and professionals….

Trump has appointed Elon Musk who said he’d cut $2 Trillion from federal bureaucracies . That’s about one third of all employees! Tell me that won’t cause a riot!

He did it to Twitter / X seemingly without crippling industrial action. Maybe he can do it on a much bigger scale.

“Progressives are no longer the party of the working class or the non- college educated…

… the incompatibility of identity politics with the liberal principle of equality … citizens’ trust in mainstream institutions has been absolutely shattered..corporations and the military, universities and the courts .. trust is gone

When people look (at these institutions) they see progressive values shoved in their faces. It’s not the democracy they voted for.”

Politicians don’t purge, because those purged are voters.

Now it seems that this has changed, Trump doesn’t want re-election after this term. He is backed by the working class and opposed by the elites. He wants to change what the elites have done and he doesn’t care about the political risk.

Here in Australia it was reported recently that:

An estimated 70% of jobs growth since 2022 has been government funded….The 2024-25 budget showed the number of public servants had grown by about 25% since the COVID-19 pandemic

Dan Power, The Mandarin, 18 October 2024

Now we see how politics works! Vote for me an I’ll give you a job!

I hope the Coalition ask Elon Musk for some tips before the next election!

Pastoral

Nevil Shute wrote a love story between an RAF Pilot Officer and a Section Officer in the Womens’ Auxiliary Air Force in World War 2.

He distils the stress and strain during war on lives in a socially divided society. The encounter, enchantment and engagement are all repressed by social convention. Subterfuge had to be employed to discover names and first names were only used after the second ‘date’.

It is all very distressingly proper and restrained. It was not done to be seen together unaccompanied by others: “…. good WAAF officers did not contract relationships with young men on their own station.”

It was the two world wars which radically re-defined social conventions in the western world, particularly in Britain. Working class men showed they could fly, lead and fight just as well as the upper classes, as did foreigners and colonials and they could not be denied entry into officer ranks.

Women stepped out of the domestic and secretarial world and made huge incursions into previously male-only worlds, performing, surprisingly to men, very well.

Once a door has been opened, it is nigh impossible to shut … right Hodor?

These societal changes occurred during savagely destructive warfare, with death just another sunset away for many.

The demands for further changes to society structures and institutions have continued with the woke demands to re-define history, condemn iconic leaders for new-found blemishes, deny platforms to opposing views and tolerate deviances in those deemed to be historical victims.

In an astounding re-definition of apartheid, instead of identity being disregarded as a basis of distinction, it has become the basis for societal status with some requiring exaggerated preferment and others exclusion and condemnation.

The impacts of this woke wave of change have seen Europe and the US swamped with unchecked millions of African, Arab and Latin refugees and immigrants from former colonies. Gone are the days that countries can deny entry to other than formal applicants through proper channels.

You can’t say no to a refugee or return them to their country of birth.

So we in the West are left with a different society, highly stratified and diverse with greater welfare expectations and minimal political principle to withstand changes demanded by social media.

Authoritarian regimes who enforce societal compliance will rise and dominate the world. Sharia law and Social Credit sytems will become the order of the day.

They will halt the woke erosion, by Diktat and gulag!

Shine a light on it

This is not a religious rant.

The Devil loves the dark. He shies away from the light.

I was having a devil of a time understanding why I felt that capitalism was a failed system.

My concern was prompted by the perpetual focus on how rich the super rich are. The worth of Elon Musk, Bill Gates etc is staggering! According to Wikipedia they are surpassed by Bernard Arnaut who is worth $233 billion!! (understandable as he produces the world’s best champagne, brandy and luxury goods – Louis Vuitton – he sells to rich folk).

Then I shone a little light on their worth: LVMH has 213,000 employees, representing 190 different nationalities; Musk companies employ over 110,000 people.

That’s how capitalism works: clever people employ many people who in turn fund society and of course they all pay taxes so we can have a government to run our countries. In 2023, LVMH paid a tax rate of 26% on revenue of €86 billion.

That looks like capitalism works very well for society!!

Since the adoption of capitalism the world has improved dramatically:

Life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900;
the almost universal illiteracy of 200 years ago has practically disappeared;
only 10% of the world live in extreme poverty, compared to 80% of the world 2 00 years ago.

There certainly seems to be enough money provided by the Capitalist economies and even the former communist and totalitarian economies like China and Russia who have ample funds to spend on military hardware and war!

So we must shine our light elsewhere.

The US federal government debt now stands at 33 trillion dollars*

Almost every single Western economy shows a similar pattern!!

Throughout democratic capitalist economies, politicians are confronted by rising expectations of the voters, rising costs of government and declining productivity.

… authoritarian capitalist economies such as those of Russia and China are not constrained by the economic realities that confront Western democracies.

If free market capitalist economies are to survive we have to either substantially increase rates of taxation to pay for rearmament or reduce the welfare benefits that citizens now see as their right.

https://www.spectator.com.au/2024/06/are-we-doomed Tony Letford

Put that in your pipe and smoke it! Our governments are just shelling out money to stay in power – how long is that going to work?

So my faith in capitalism is restored. I have no faith in politicians, yet they are what we have, so we must get them to work properly.

Lonesome Town

You can buy a dream or two to last you all through the years

And the only price you pay is a heart full of tears

Francoise Hardy sang it so sadly to a young teenager, along with many other songs that echo in my memory. I won her LP Francoise Hardy sings in English at a school ‘tickey’ evening in 1964. Instantaneously, I was a life long fan.

My friend Phillip Birch heard of her arrival in South Africa and scored her autograph for me.

His photo was in The Star running alongside her and David Gresham her impresario. Gresh was also a Swazi boy so organized the signed autograph. Oh, swell my heart!

Her version of Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne was a wonder song:

And you know that she’s half crazy but that’s why you wanna be there,

And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China,

My favourite was probably All over the world – it was particularly meaningful to me when my son was soldiering in Afghanistan.

If maybe some night

You come back from afar

Who cares if tonight

I don’t know where you are

I have never denied being sentimental.

MHDSRIP

In other ways of surviving Lonesome Town, 3.5 million people use chatbot platforms daily as companions, romantic partners and even digital ghosts.

Woebot is a metal health chatbot which responds with cognitive behaviour therapy. It is not a generative chatbot like Chatgpt – conversations are written by writers with training in evidence-based approaches.

This indicates a significant shift in how people interact with technology for emotional support and socialization.

However, while these interactions can be beneficial, they also raise concerns about addiction and the potential negative impact on real-life social skills.

Digital ghosts, or AI-generated avatars of deceased loved ones, offer another perspective on how AI can influence human emotions and relationships

This practice taps into cultural traditions of communicating with the dead but also introduces new ethical and psychological challenges. While some find comfort in these interactions, others worry about the potential for prolonged grief and the blurring of reality and memory.

AI companions also extend into the realm of romantic relationships, with platforms offering AI-generated girlfriends gaining popularity

AI companions can provide temporary comfort and help improve social skills, they cannot replace the depth and physicality of human relationships. companionship and emotional support in elder care, hospitals, and mental health facilities.

For example, … a robotic pet that responds to voice commands and provides calming conversations for dementia patients, reducing the need for constant human supervision and enhancing patient comfort stress management, coping with loss, or relationship counselling.

In the workplace they can provide employees with confidential, 24/7 support for stress management, work-life balance, and mental health issues.

Most of the above paragraphs on AI chatbots were extracted from an article in Quantumrun – The Futures -No 59

There is a wonderful new world out there being made possible by AI, which can largely wipe places like Lonesome Town from the map.

But as in all things moderation is the key (something we are not very good at!)