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It interweaves historical references, personal opinions, and current events to critique modern Western democracies, governance, and cultural trends.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

Social Justice

I started to write about the political emphasis placed on child care and aged care. Both aimed at liberating mothers and fathers from caring for their families, so they could work.

The political left crusades to enable every adult to enter the workforce. They do this by making more and more money available to voters – isn’t that kind?

How do you get mothers back to work? Pay to have their children and their aged parents cared for by others.

Never mind the destruction of the family as a nurturing place for young and old.

But it is more than that. Exploiting apparent inequalities as a political practice is effective in getting sympathy votes. How can it be wrong?

The moral high ground of the Social Justice Warrior is: Emancipation is an ongoing process. It is a moral duty to address remaining inequalities. We must create a more just and equitable society for all.

The political opportunity of exploiting the moral of disadvantage is a battle based on sentiment, not intellect.

That fallacy is the cudgel used – it’s not equal, that’s not fair! Everyone must have equal rights…

The Left has become the champion of the voteless people. Championing equality for the poor, people of colour, women, homosexuals, the aged and the disabled engenders lifelong electoral support. So virtuous!

It’s the gift that keeps on giving, because things will never be equal for everybody…

Of course this is only possible in democracies. If you step out of line in China, Russia, Korea, Iran, Zimbabwe, Venezuela or most Middle Eastern countries, there is a high probability that you will disappear or die.

The opponents of democracies: totalitarian, Islamist, kleptocratic regimes actively support and agitate for “Social Justice” in western democracies.

It is a great way to maintain ongoing disruption and antipathy in societies.

This didn’t go where I was thinking of going… but it still says something about what I think…

End Times

I have been entertaining some deep thoughts prompted by others and Trumpmania.

Now maybe irrelevant speculation….. !? It seems Israel has released the brakes and stomped on the accelerator…!

The lessons of world history are clear…

When the equilibrium between ruling elites and the majority tips too far in favour of elites, political instability is all but inevitable.

As income inequality surges and prosperity flows disproportionately into the hands of the elites, the common people suffer, and society-wide efforts to become an elite grow ever more frenzied… once a society steps on the road to crisis, it resembles a massive ball rolling down a narrow valley with steep slopes.

It’s very difficult to stop or even deflect its rush to an impending disaster.

But once the ball arrives at the crisis point, the valley opens up—there are many ways to exit the crisis.

Some paths lead to a complete disaster and utter collapse. Other trajectories manage to avoid the bloodshed of a revolution or a civil war.

Broadly-based well-being is a key variable in the structural-demographic theory, while its opposite, popular immiseration, is one of the most important drivers for instability

He [Turchin] calls this process the wealth pump; it’s a world of the damned and the saved.

And since the number of such positions remains relatively fixed, the overproduction of elites inevitably leads to frustrated elite aspirants, who harness popular resentment to turn against the established order.

Turchin’s models show that when this state has been reached, societies become locked in a death spiral it’s very hard to exit.

Peter Turchin End Times – Cliodynamica

The Iron Law of Oligarchy. In short, power corrupts.

Behavioural Sink is a term coined to describe the behaviour of rats living in an experimental utopia with ample food and no threats

They clustered together in one area and their behaviour deteriorated.

Sort of like the impact of urbanisation on humans…

I also watched a brief video on Fascism and the scenes from LA prompted thoughts of Kristalnacht in 1938 Germany.

Deliberate overuse of power to stoke up resistance from a target population. There is a Fuhrer and sycophantic toadies and brutal bullying and suppression of opposition.

Deaths of Despair*

Life expectancy in the United States has recently fallen for three years in a row—a reversal not seen since 1918 or in any other wealthy nation in modern times. In the past two decades, deaths of despair from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism have risen dramatically, and now claim hundreds of thousands of American lives each year—and they’re still rising.

In [their] critically important book, Case and Deaton tie the crisis to the weakening position of labour, the growing power of corporations, and, above all, to a rapacious health-care sector that redistributes working-class wages into the pockets of the wealthy. Capitalism, which over two centuries lifted countless people out of poverty, is now destroying the lives of blue-collar America.

… for those who used to prosper in America, capitalism is no longer delivering.

*https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691190785/deaths-of-despair-and-the-future-of-capitalism

Remember back then..?

I thought & have been thinking how sad strange it is that in one’s life you meet so many people who then disappear…completely. Some (most of the dogs & cats, I’m sure) have died.
I suppose it doesn’t help that I buzzed off to the antipodeean land of the long white cloud. I lived in many places but I am going to have a go at remembering the people there … (apologies to those I didn’t remember, you are not forgotten, just …)
I have marked* those I have had contact with in the last 10 years or so
Bremersdorp (1950’s): Jimmy Batchelor*, June Rose, Georgie Karagonis, Little Flower convent
Mbabane (late 50’s, early 60’s): Patrick(Pine) Pitcher; Peter Armstrong, Niel Rae*, Snarly Davies, Buster Culverwell*, John Horn, Nunkie Berry, Lindsay Rice, Monkey Slatem (RIP), the Marwicks, Martins, Lamzima, Samuel the cook, Samuel Matsebula (RIP); the Allardices (RIP?); Tsabetse, Bessie & Farouk, Cheeky Bums, Jess Robertson,Inky English, Miss Vos, Du’T, Kariba oval,George Gibbon & his dad (Akela); Roddy Smith*
Havelock Mine (60’s & 70’s)John & Peggy Critchley, the Nicholsons, Newcombes, Paige Greens, Jones, Collen Benson, Antoinete Britz, Golly Bowen, the Snooks*, Bob Sanderson, the Gordon Highlanders, Jess, Le Clus’, Ian Jenner (RIP); Titus; Vas aan die slaap, Christine Keeler (the cat) Twiggy, Jock
(*only 5/43)

This is too much – each name triggers off little cameo memories … this is supposed to be a philosophy column not an ego-blography.

Save to say that all these people have contributed to my life – thank you for your donations, gratefully (now) received!
Some have not worn socks, others have chewed them & others even washed them.
I am sure all of them would subscribe to the Silly Sock Philosophy (under construction), promoting quirks & whimsy, to make the world a better place.