I have been in a period this year where I did not write much towards the blog, just some short random thought posts. This is another one of those not fully developed posts. But here it be.

The situation in old Europe is not great. That is rather obvious. However, I see, more and more, the notion that the European “elites” – I hate the word in this context but I will use it because it is broadly used like this, there is nothing elite bout the fuckers – are deeply corrupt, which is true. Also that the European populace does not really know this, or trusts them. This is not as true. More than it should be, I suppose.  There was a level of trust sure. However, not even Europeans ever truly trusted politicians.

I would venture to say it was more a combination if complacency, social respectability, and the effects of political tribalism, than trust. As in most “functional democracies” where “the rule of law” is the guiding principle. The complacency kept people from really thinking. The tribalism found an outlet for existing problems, the other side “done it”. Sure, you would get heated in election years, argue with family, friends, strangers over the fashionable opinions of the day, and, of course, blamed everything on the other side. Not that the sides were all that different, they hovered in a narrow Overton window. Nevertheless, complacency and social acceptance prevented people from any radical change. Like those icky fringe parties of fringe opinions. Because things were going reasonably well, by human history standards.

In the end, there was sort of a deal in place, I would think. Pay high taxes, accept some waste and corruption, but in return get some peace and reasonable prosperity, and the deal seemed to hold. Until it did not. Which was predictable. This was the mistake of the European, getting too comfortable and no longer keeping close look at the direction of things.

This is what made people stop thinking, buying into all the left crap and, more importantly, the eco nonsense. It all sounded good superficially and no one felt immediately and directly any pain. As such, no one looked at things to in-depth. Threats of pain in the future were ignored, a common failing of humanity. It is similar with the fabulous pensions that were promised when there were 30 workers per retiree. All things that are unsustainable, will eventually fail.

I do not think it was trust so much, as comfort and carelessness. In private, most people did not trust “the elites”.

There are two main problems at hand. The problem with socialism is when you run out of other people’s money. The problem with green delusions is when you run out of other people’s energy. This led, like all such things, to a rude awakening. How rude, we do not know yet. The awakening, in most cases, only ever comes after it is rather a bit too late.

The “elites” are the new aristocracy. Like the old aristocracy, they started more robust, and finished in a decadent state. They, whomever they may be, became more arrogant and self-assured, not necessarily more corrupt, in thinking that the plebs taking some shit means they can pile it on indefinitely. However, the crux for the populace was accepting things as long as comfort and some appearances of respectability were maintained. If it was not trust, it was complacency in a decent situation; when the situation goes away so does the complacency. I freeze in winter while you take a jet from your mansion to your summer palace, this is what the aristocracy of old did, and what the new aristocracy is trying to bring back. So in some small way the people, they are revolting.

This was, as I tried to explain with little success to some Glibs, the difference between the western and eastern – Russian – model, which Romania tried hard to escape with varying success. Not that the leaders were more or less corrupt, but the notion that if you steal less from a richer country, you get more while the “people” are  also left with enough for a good life, enough to get comfortable and complacent. Comfortable and complacent can be aspirational for those in much worse conditions. Though I still believe the easterners are more corrupt in finance matters, because they are more motivated by personal enrichment and less by ideology. Off course for all there is a mix of power, money, ideology etc. Just in different proportions. Though as the saying goes, a robber Barron mostly motivated by money can be maybe more predictable than one motivated by a “great purpose.”

This is what sustained the high tax model of the prosperous west. You cannot take 50% from a poor person, because they will starve. If you take 50% from someone who has enough that the remaining 50% still makes them comfortable, they will not be inclined to rebel. After all rebellion is hard and there is a really good show just out on Netflix. The house is warm, there is a bottle of wine, some beer, and a roast in the oven. There may be a game on the telly later on. Life is good enough. Too much to lose and all that. The old trick of plucking birds and getting as many fathers with as few squawks as possible.

Now things may have started to change. Though, from a libertarian point of view, with little good in store. The people have woken up that the deal is broken. But they will probably not decide to go for liberty, but look for a new deal with a newer aristocracy. People do not want to be free, they want to be comfortable. However, complacency can breed weakness over time, and now it may be too late to change the direction, whatever this may be. Alternatively, it might not be. Maybe this was the plan of the current cabal, lulu the masses until too late. But no cabal lasted forever, if one glances at history. It was a bold strategy and we shall see how that works out for them.

Or maybe I am wrong, libertarianism is clouding my judgement, and western politicians are broadly honest, well meaning and competent, though I have difficulty typing the words without laughing. But who knows? Not old Pie, that’s for sure.