Quote Originally Posted by presence View Post
America is in a state of decay because uncle creates endless regulations which prevent economic activity.
That is part of it. The state's regulatory strangulation is a huge, gangantuan problem.

Unfortunately, there is an even bigger problem.

Even bigger than the state? Even bigger than gargantuan?

Yes.

We are in the midst of a civilizational collapse. This collapse is biologically-rooted. It has happened to every single previous civilization in history (except maybe the City of Enoch, but history is sketchy on that). If you'll allow me an understatement: It will be very hard to avert.

The solution?

Raise your kids harsher. Discipline them. Be more demanding. Have higher standards. Be rigorous. Punish. Doesn't sound libertarian, I know. Sorry. Many things in life and reality are counter-intuitive. This rigor and control very early in life (0-4) will actually make them much more creative and free-thinking as adults.

Don't over-feed them. Under-feed them. Don't give them toys.

Don't give yourself toys. Don't spend your money. Live on 10% of your income.

Do Extreme Vetting on the media you allow into your children. Only let in the best books, the best art, the best drama. And attend not only to quality, but select carefully with a mind to conveying very specific messages.

This may be obvious in light of the last point, but: this means no uncontrolled spigots of media into your children's minds. Most certainly no TV in the home. The medium is the message. Even if you watch only the most uplifting, educational programs, the medium of television itself communicates passivity, apathy, morbidity. You are just a passive spud, sitting consumptively, being fed messages from a centralized, implicitly authoritative and superior beacon of culture.

Join a society, most likely religious, where you and more importantly your children will be surrounded by other people with very high levels of discipline, exercising very high degrees of control over their children.

Surround yourself with and associate with the highest-level people in every way. That doesn't mean rich people, it means hard-working, disciplined people. Nothing but good role-models everywhere for you and your kids.

Pheromone therapy may also play an important role. The good pheromones you get from all the people you're associating with at church and Cub Scouts and whatnot will help, but it may not be enough to push back against the colossal inertia of the civilizational cycle. Unfortunately, pheromone therapy is not yet developed, but it's important that the scientists continue working on it as quickly as possible, because it may end up being an essential aid.


Do you have any other ideas to add?