74 Comments
Feb 27, 2023Liked by Grant Smith

That was fantastic, Grant. Bravo.

The "parasitic caste" framework was new to me and I find it very useful. It shifts the perspective from traditional categories like blue collar/white collar, production/service etc. to something with more descriptive and political power. Like, yes, the defense contractor might have a big factory producing tangible goods, but what is an overpriced, fragile "high tech" fighter jet that isn't even appropriate for any realistic scenario and whose only purpose is to fatten up a club of tax-funded profiteers really worth? Nothing. On the other hand, your friendly accountant who truly helps small businesses could be seen as part of the productive class, even if he is the cliché of the white collar bureaucrat. Really interesting to think about it like that.

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I've been saying for years to fellow engineers "we are becoming a nation (the US) that can't make its own underpants!" when discussing outsourcing -- with blank stares and non-interest for response. You've explained what I've tried to communicate far better, although even if I forward a link to this substack, it still probably won't explain anything to those who don't want to think. Still, excellent work sir!

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Feb 27, 2023Liked by Grant Smith

Classy way to show class 👌

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That's why I learned to build houses, grow more food than i can eat, hunting and fishing, writing and now the guitar. Because I've known most of my adult life, this gravy train will end, surely in my lifetime.

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Much appreciated! The identification of parasite, productive and dependent roles is key to making sense of our economic and power relations. When you chose the word "caste", I expected a focus on the attempts many in the parasite class to set up conditions to keep their bloodlines in the parasite (or other) role in perpetuity. I do judge that the "families" atop the parasite hierarchy are attempting this just this. And that many of those families seemed to have achieved this, only to become aware that their continued parasitism requires that we be made ignorant and weak. Hence their increasing resort to poisons - physical, spiritual and mental. I sense their desperation and evident panic, even as total, permanent power seemed within their grasp.

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I agree with Junger that the Bourgeoisie are defined by status, that the Worker is defined by they whose professional life is defined by accomplishing tasks.

I mention because there’s a great many bourgeoisie strivers who if they stepped back and asked themselves “What do You Do” - the essential American question that we ask as introduction before names- we’d have considerably less mischief in the world.

Listen to foreigners; they are amazed that our American introduction is;

So, what do you do?

The Quintessential American Introduction. Let’s start with ourselves.

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I recently learned about the Free Market Medical Association. It doesn't have a presence everywhere, but it's good to see that at least some practitioners are aware of the problems of involving men with guns with healthcare. This may be the way forward.

https://fmma.org/

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The lacuna in this analysis is the role of the dependent class - what Marx would call the lumpenproletariat, and is usually referred to these days as the welfare class. Their role in the system is as clients of the parasitic class. Their lifestyle predisposes them to support the expansion of state power and the continuation of redistribution programs, which translates into economic and political power for the parasitic class. They also serve as auxillaries during political struggle, since they can e.g. be whipped up into riot mobs. Further, they create an additional drain on the productive class, which helps to keep the producers exhausted and therefore servile.

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There won't be electoral wins and subsequent policy changes until after the whole shebang crashes and burns. This is because the current system is self-protecting and infinitely expanding regardless of consequences, which will eventually be forced on it. In this case, the cure for cancer is death.

In the meantime, get as much silver, Bitcoin, gold, tools, hardware, food, guns, ammo, and (most Importantly) like minded friends as you think is appropriate, because there's going to be a need for all of these during the rebuilding phase. The best time to start this was 10 years ago, the next best is right now.

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May 17, 2023Liked by Grant Smith

Consider Team D to be the political will of the PMC made manifest, with various minorities as junior partners. By contrast, Team R is the political expression of the Local Gentry, with white evangelicals as junior partners.

The PMC's mastery of their slice of the means of production is the result of their knowledge, credentials and gatekeeping. These cannot be directly inherited, but are as a practical matter, largely generational. Because of their relationship to the means of production, the PMC are primarily based in the coastal megalopolises, and otherwise in larger cities. They are at best loosely tied to a given location, and are famous for their lack of loyalty to firm, city, country, or anything other than the best opportunity available at that particular moment.

The Local Gentry, by contrast, enjoy their positions as a result of their control of capital assets, often inherited. Because they are tied to specific capital assets, they are, well, *local* by necessity. A successful sand and gravel contractor might be quite well off, in spite of having only a high school diploma. He might own a fleet of cars, trucks, a boat, an airplane, a big house and another house in Scottsdale, but he cannot feasibly up sticks and move his operations even a few counties over.

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Mar 2, 2023·edited Mar 2, 2023Liked by Grant Smith

Fantastic work. I wouldn't add a thing.

I have one objection that has been echoed elsewhere in the comments in other language with your discussion of the concept of caste vs. class. To my mind, the main and crucial distinction in these terms is that caste is largely used to connote a status that is fixed and unchangeable. Americans are fond of drawing distinctions to their European counterparts' cultures in implying that we are a *cackles* classless society when they really mean we are ostensibly a casteless society, and that one can rise and fall in class on one's own alleged merits through capitalism, rather than one's caste being fixed at birth or bestowed strictly by elite anointment.

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Mar 2, 2023·edited Mar 2, 2023Liked by Grant Smith

Great analysis, up to the point where you mention elections :)

Elections simply don't scale much above the Dunbar number. We need another way.

Also, overloading the meaning of cast might be a bit confusing.

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(Sorry to spam but) Nico Soldo at FBF asked what are concrete tools that can be used for #NationalDivorce. He is skeptical.

I answered him with 10 steps. I left out the unspoken Ultima Ratio, that explains itself. I’m not unrealistic or in ah fantasyland about uh amicable divorce or our geography would only allow separation as interim.

In the interest of our host’s lessening the role of government, the political answer is to continue to devolve power to the states.

Dobbs and resistance to COVID have begun this healthy process.

As for #NationalDivorce; without a real threat to power the system does nothing, without a real offer our 🇺🇸 people will not respond, just continue to vege and GULAG from home. Or worse.

National Divorce-

Tools; 1) put it on table. Change or we’re changing it.

2) Courts/ SCOTUS. See Dobbs.

3) State governments

4) Non-Compliance- Defiance.

5) Elections: at present stunned by 2020 Coup De Main, won’t work forever for Dems.

6) Time; the Gerontocracy is aging. Replacement AOCs Squad

7) Constitutional Convention; which has more support than is given out publicly, it’s quite a legitimate avenue that can quickly gain traction in this atmosphere.

8) Defections; the police have quit on the job and the military is walking away. 🇺🇸 MIL are clusters of the same families serving generationally, the recruiting, retention (and desertions!) problem now is the beginning small tail of catastrophe inbound and not easily reversed. Biden is in by fraud and FORCE, is Fraud alone enough?

9) Demoralization of the Liberals and the Left as COVID truths surface and Ukraine founders.

10) Best for last; ELITE DEFECTIONS to America- and the reshoring Tidal Wave. Both are happening. > as our host will attest Elites make all the difference in the world.

Reshoring

https://chiefexecutive.net/special-report-reshoring-revolution/

Elites defect to America.

https://a16z.com/american-dynamism-50/?mkt_tok=MzgyLUpaQi03OTgAAAGItX0ntb3rdfKiQDJ4ZdjV9yiKe6fM0lgx3EwUAIQAMX_0Z53sTByIjLT5p0DMpctPjgyaebwoM0WwSryxDEW2yZfie-tNEkhjHhcYM7QvzIjuPg

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Nicolo Soldo believes in Elite theory, without at least some elites nothing is possible, correct (there must be leaders and resources) so that’s #10.

The most practical course is to devolve power to the States, some will be quite libertarian.

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The effect of all the Marxist Indoctrination upon our Educated class; amid all the shrieks and inane babble the educated discerned 2 words;

FEAR WORKERS.

Insanely BTW.

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“Given conditions of economic freedom these conflicts are manageable. When the government takes a larger role in the economy, however, “

Government is that which doesn’t go away just because you want it to...

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deletedFeb 27, 2023Liked by Grant Smith
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