Much of what I have been writing about for the past 13 years, starting with the article Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century, has been negative: the topic of the ongoing, slow but accelerating, collapse of the United States is not a happy subject. The negativity is inevitable: my goal has been to inspire my readers to transform their lives in a way that will allow them to avoid getting hurt by the collapse, and the motivation to do so is two-part. One part is negative: understanding what to move away from; the other, equally essential, is positive: what to move toward. The negative part is much simpler to spell out than the positive, because while the negative factors tend to affect everyone, although in different ways and to different extents, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone to embrace and implement.
More...
I understand that some people are opposed to paying $1 a month to read ClubOrlov premium content. For them, I would like to offer another option: to read the premium content in its unspelled version. (Information on how to read Unspelled English.)
kolVps + Y KQT lXf
mBj OF MOt X RVF PHn rXthN vPWt fOr Y pVst 13 LHdS, stArthN MHY Y Arthkl pGst-sGFLet lEsonS fOr A pGst-amErhkan sEnjdh, RVS PHn nEKvthF: Y tOphk OF Y ONKghN, slG PBt vksEldcthN, kolVps OF Y LunXteT stCts HS nOt A RVph sBPJekt. Y negvnHFhth HS hnEFhtaPl: mX KGl RVS PHn tU hnspXd mX rITdS tU trvnsfOrm YEd lXFS Hn A MC YVt MHl blW YEm tU vFOLT KEthN RDt PX Y kolVps, + Y mgthFCzon tU TU sG HS tU-pArt. MBn pArt HS nEKvthF: bnTdstVnThN MOt tU mUF bMC frOm; Y BYd, IkMalh esEnzl, HS pOShthF: MOt tU mUF tqMOrT. Y nEKvthF pArt HS mBj sHmpld tU spEl Wt YVn Y pOShthF, PekOS MXl Y nEKvthF fVktdS tEnT tU vfEkt EFrhMbn, olYG Hn THfdent MCS + tU THfdent ekstEnts, YEd HS nG MBn-sXS-fHts-Ol solUzon fOr EFrhMbn tU emPrCs + Hmplement.
GFd Y LHdS, XF trXT tU prESent FErhus oltDnathFS, sBm OF MHj X RVF tEsteT Wt, + Ol OF YEm Ar entXdlh lVkhN Hn LunhFdsVlhth. PBt YHs HS hnEFhtaPl.
mX fDst mCJd lXfRvk MOS KEthN rHT OF Y RWs + Y kAr + lHfhN vPOrT A sClPgt. YHs vlWT mI tU elHmhnct Ol TEt, tU TramVthklh kBt mX PDn rCt + tU kMHklh vmVs sCFhNS, MXl MDkhN kOrpdbt KHKS MhYHn MOkhN Or PXshklhN THstans OF Y marIna MEd Y sClPgt MOS pArkt. mX MXf + X Olsg sClT arWnT kMXt A lOt. MI stCT On POrT Vftd Wd sBn MOS POrn, + RI KrU Bp vPOrT bntHl CJ fXF. RI mHseS lHfhN On Y PGt nW YVt MI Ar On lVnT.
X ThstHlT Wd ekspHrienseS Hntu A PGt TeSXn prOJekt — kMHTnon, “A RwsPgt YVt sClS.” Y TeSXn prOses HS ONKghN, + Ht lQks lXk Xl RVF Y fBnTS tU stArt PHlThN Ht nEkst LHd. mX KGl HS tU mCk kMHTnon Vn vfOrTaPl Opzon fOr EnhPoTh RU MOnts tU mCk A KG OF “sIsteThN.” PBt lHfhN vPOrT Hsnt fOr EFrhMbn; sBm pIpl KEt sIshk + lOts OF pIpl arnt RVnTh enBf tU tCk kEd OF A PGt.
vnBYd lXfRvk X trXT HS gFdMHnThN rEnt-frI Hn Y trOphks OF sEntral amErhka. YEd Ar plEnth OF kEdtckd opdtLUnhtiS—enBf fOr EnhMbn RU MOnts MBn, + MI fWnT MBn kMXt IShlh. nOt EFrhPoTh kVn lIF Y LU-Es, Or sBm BYd kolVps-rETh kBntrh YVt YC RVpen tU PI stBk Hn, fOr ekstEnTeT pHrhoTS OF tXm, PBt Ht’s PekBmhN Vn hnkrIshnKlh KQT xTIa. Ht HS Vn espEzblh KQT xTIa tU mUF tU A plCs MEd fUT kVn PI KrGn Or kOt LHd-rWnT olmGst Efdtleslh, MEd RIthN HS bnnEsesdh + Ed konTHzonhN HS prgFXTeT PX Y trCT MHnTS, + MEd YEd Ar lGklS arWnT sdFXFhN On olmGst nG mBnh.
vlON Y MC X konEkteT MHY KrEK JEfdS + pBPlhzt RHS PQk prOspdus GmsteThN. KrEK trXT A THfdent vprGj: KHFhN Bp On sHth lXf + zOphN fOr fUT Hn fCFd OF lXf On A sElf-sbstCnhN RGmsteT. RI MDkt Wt Y mxkrgekonOmhks OF rBnhN A RGmsteT, VS osGST tU rBnhN A fArm. Y THfdens HS YVt A fArm fITS pIpl RU TOnt lHF On Y fArm, MXl A RGmsteT fITS YGS RU TU (+ mCks A PHt OF mBnh yrU sCl OF lXFstok). fArmhN HS A fUl’s KCm—bnTdpET, rHskh, gFddEKLulcteT MDk; RGmsteThN HS A lXfRvk.
KrEK rIsentlh rGt tU tEl mI YVt RHS nEkst PQk—On MDkhN MHY ROrseS—MHl PI rETh sBmtxm sUn. (RHS fDst PQk RVS sGlT kMXt MEl.) ROrseS Ar Vn esEnzl pArt OF Y sHstem RI RVS vTOpteT MBns RI fWnT Wt YVt trVktdS fCl tU Dn YEd kIp (plBs YC fCl tU reprgTLUs, TOn’tI rBn On KrVs + Arnt nHdlh VS pDsonaPl). TrVKhN lOKS Wt OF Y MQT lOt Or RHlhN potCtgS MHY A RG HS PvkPrckhN MDk — bnlEs LU RVF A ROrs, prefDlh A tIm OF ROrseS, pQlhN fOr LU.
PBt lHfhN On A RGmsteT Hsnt fOr EFrhMbn XYd; LU RVF tU RVF A KrBPstck tU PX Y lVnT + sEt Ht Bp, PI fHt enBf fOr lOts OF fHShkl lCPd, PI KQT MHY VnhmalS +, pdRVps mGst hmpOrtantlh, LU RVF tU PI LBN enBf (+ mEriT enBf) tU PEd + PrHN Bp A PBnj OF RGmsteThN jHlTren RU MHl tCk GFd Y rBnhN OF Y RGmsteT, sG YVt LU kVn retXd Vt 40, PekOS LOr RGmsteT MHl Olsg prgFXT fOr LOr retXdment.
X Olsg trXT mCkhN A fOrC Hntu rXthN vPWt komLUnhth-PHlThN, sIhN VS MOt pVseS fOr komLUnhth Hn Y LU-Es + BYd gFdTeFElopt, kolVps-rETh kBntriS Hsnt MDy rXthN vPWt. YEd HS pdRVps mOr tU PI sET On Y sBPJekt, PBt Y sVT rialhSCzon HS YVt Y PEst prVkthseS X bnkBFdT Ar nOt VplhkaPl tU mGst pIpl’s shjuCzonS. komLUnhtiS YVt vPXT kVn’tI PI OrKvnxST arthfHzllh; YC Ol eFOlF, mGstlh PX KGhN yrU TXd sDkbmstvnseS + sdFXFhN. pdRVps sBm OF YEm MHl tCk zCp Hn Y VftdmvY OF kolVps, PBt YHs HS bnlXklh tU RVpen VS prepdCzon fOr kolVps. stHl, YEd HS Vn hmpOrtant lEson RHd: sdFXFhN kolVps HS A lOt IShd Hf LU Ar MHY LOr Gn pIpl rVYd YVn Hn A TxFDs, multhkAljdal, RXlh hnThFhJualHsthk, CliencteT sEthN. YHs HS sDtanlh bnMElkom nLUS fOr pIpl RU Ar TxFDs, multhkAljdal, hnThFhJualHsthk + CliencteT.
fXnalh, X sIm tU PI mVnvJhN tU komPXn Ol YIS strVnTS tqKEYd. MI mUFT PVk tU rBza, MEd X MOS POrn + KrU Bp, + MEd X hntdOpdct + PlEnT Hn MHY Y sIndh kMXt sImleslh. RHd, MI spEnT Y sBmdS Vt Wd sBmd RWs (Taja) Hn A smOl FHlaJ. YEd Ar Gpen fIlTS, A rHFd tU sMHm Hn + lOts OF MQTS fQl OF PEriS + mBzrumS. Y OrjarT, Y kHjn KArTen + Y KrInRws Ar prgFXThN Bs MHY A stETh strIm OF prOTLus. PBt Ht’s nOt kMXt komplIt VS A sElf-sbfHznt RGmsteT — olYG Ht MBns MOS + Ht kQT PI vKEn Hf Y shjuCzon TemVnTeT Ht. Hn fVkt, YEd Ar fLU RGsteTdS lEft Hn YIS pArts. mGst pIpl prefD tU gFdMHnT Hn tWnS + sHtiS, + Y rBzon ekOnomh HS TGhN mBj tU MEl tU mCk fQl-tXm RGmsteThN vtrVkthF fOr tU mEnh pIpl.
Y lVk OF LHd-rWnT rEShTents HS A prOPlem fOr kIphN lXFstok. PBt mGst BYd prOPlemS sHmplh TOn’tI eKSHst RHd. RX-spIT Hntdnet HS arWnT $10/mBny, mCkhN Ht pOshPl tU MDk remGtlh. A kBpl OF LHdS’ MDy OF fXdMqT, TelHFdT PX Y Tbmptrbk lGT, HS arWnT $100. elektrHshth HS $0.045/kHloMat-WdS — rBflh RVf OF MOt Ht HS Hn Y LU-Es. mGst BYd ekspEnseS — tVkseS, hnzUrans, konstrBkzon pDmhts, etsEtda., Ar XYd FErh lG Or noneKSHstent. YEd HS nGPoTh tU KHF LU A tHket fOr plVnthN krOps Hn LOr frBnt LArT Or fOr fClhN tU mG LOr lOn. (MOt lOn?) fIlTS fOr kblthFCzon kVn PI lIst frOm Y KBFdnment Vt arWnT $50 pD LHd pD Ckd. olYG mEnh pIpl RHd Gn kArS, MI RVF PHn CPl tU KEt PX MhYWt MBn. tVksi sDFhs HS vFClaPl EFrhMed + HS kMXt jIp — $7 fOr A rXT fOr Y nHdest tWn — + YEd Ar trCnS + PBseS frOm YEd tU sEFdal lArJ sHtiS.
Ht Olsg tDnS Wt tU PI A KQT plCs tU PHlT PGts. YEd Ar Ol sOrts OF zOps + ksHlT pIpl Hn Y FhsHnhth, MXl Y plXMqT, OF Y sOrt nITeT tU PHlT A kMHTnon, kOsts nXn tXmS lEs RHd YVn Hn Y LU-Es. BYd hnKrITients, sBj VS fXPdKlvs + epOksh, MXdhN + elektrOnhks + sG On, kOst Y sCm VS EnhMed Els. Ht HS lXklh YVt Y fDst kMHTnon RBl MHl PI PHlt rXt arWnT RHd, pdRVps nEkst sBmd, On Y PVNk OF A nVFhKaPl rHFd, + Olsg tEsteT arWnT RHd, On A nHdPx lCk. Vt 67,500 skMEd khlOmetdS, lCk Hlmen HS nOt PHK enBf tU PI kOlT Vn HnlvnT sI, PBt Ht’s PHK enBf fOr A prUFhN KrWnT. MBns Y zCkwt HS komplIt, kMHTnon MHl PI CPl tU mUF tU Y Palthk sI, FIa rHFd FOlRoF, lCk lAToKa, rHFd nEFa + Y KAlf OF fHnlvnT, + frOm YEd tU Y MDlT. tCkhN A rXt hnstET OF A lEft Vt lCk lAToKa + fOlghN A sHriS OF rHFdS, lCks + kvnVlS, MQT tCk MBn tU Y mXth rHFd FOlKa + frOm YEd tU Y PlVk sI + Y mIT — A trHp OF A lXftxm.
fXnalh, Y FHlaJ A KQT plCs tU PrHN Bp nVjdalhsts. X rIsentlh tQk TelHFdh OF A Tbmptrbk fQl OF fXdMqT + mX sBn MOS RElphN mI stVk Ht Hn Y MQTzeT. TLUrhN Y TC Or sG YVt pVst PetMIn Y TelHFdh + Y stVkhN A fIlT mWs TesXTeT tU mCk A nEst BnTd Y pXl OF fXdMqT + KHF PDy. mX sBn ThskBFdT Y PCPh mXs MXl pHkhN Bp MQT fOr mI tU stVk. YC MD nCkeT + PlXnT, + mX sBn lQkt Vt YEm Hn vmCSment MXl Y mWs skDiT arWnT. YEn RI nGthst YVt MBn PX MBn Y PCPh mXs MD ThsvpHdhN! Vftd A MXl MI fHKdT Wt MOt MOS RVpenhN: Y mWs TesXTeT tU rilGkct tU Y MQTzeT + MOS trVnsporthN Y PCPh mXs tU Y nLU nEst Hn RD mWy. X nLU YVt kVts THT YHs, PBt mXs? MEl, Ht MQT vpHd YVt Ol MVmalS RVF prHth mBj Y sCm sEt OF mvtDnal HnsthNkts. YHs MOS A trUlh eksXthN ThskBFdh fOr A sHks-LHd-GlT. sBj tIjaPl mGments, plBs Y mEnh tVsks MEd jHlTren kVn RElp Wt, PlDhN Y lXn PetMIn MDk + plC, Ar prXsles — + frI.