Topic: Martin Armstrong Discussion - page 345. (Read 647188 times)

London is a total bubble. Especially centrally, a mixture of tourist toy town, ultra rich and dirty money. As a previous comment noted- many youngsters (like myself until recent years) choose to live and work in London. But you soon realize that in anything but high income careers it's a poor standard of living in terms of commuting and accommodation quality (even miles out of the centre).

The difference between lifestyles and attitudes is night and day when compared to rural areas and other cities. I've lived both in the 'impoverished' far north (Newcastle, Middlesbrough) and some of the most affluent cities (Cambridge, Guildford). London has economy of scale going for it and excellent restaurants, but that is where my appreciation ends.

I think it is a foregone conclusion that another referendum will be held in our lifetimes in Scotland. I think it would be good for both countries personally, it would destroy Labour in the near term, perhaps mortally. Though there is a lot idealogically  (and financially) at stake in terms in of retaining the union of countries.

I think much of the UK views Londoners as a people without morals. I am from 35 miles outside London, and I feel a world away from the attitude of Londoners (accent, communication style, political and social outlook etc.) so it's not necessary to be Scottish or Welsh to feel that way.

Like Boston/NYC, too, I suppose London relies on glamour and nightlife to reel in the under-30s, who haven't really figured out the workings of the world yet. So there are some misguided young career people around; some of them will change their tune as they mature, but many will continue to work in the financial centre for years. After all, once you've settled into a career, we're talking about big salaries and a hefty mortgage to service. It's difficult breaking out of that, because it means a total lifestyle change.

I'm not sure if most Welsh people would describe it this way but...I think they understand the positives of a low-inflation system. They would prefer to be freer, with a low cost of living, than pursuing the illusion of a 'high profile' career in a high inflation system, living in a megacity. They are very suspicious of the high finance powers. Unfortunately, quite a few people are still fooled by the socialist vs corporation false dichotomy. The Labour Party remains quite strong, but they've taken a battering even in Wales. I think the younger people have seen through that charade, but they don't feel hugely confident in creating their own alternatives on a national level. The thing is, you can still have quite a nice life in Wales, so they likely prefer to not think much about politics and concentrate on what they are doing.

lol lambie,nice 

This is very interesting to me, because for one reason I believe I have Welsh ancestry. My name is Shelby Henry Moore III. I descend from my grandfather Shelby H.  Moore Sr. on my father's side from Isaac Shelby a former governor of Kentucky and hero in the revolutionary way. Shelby appears to be a Welsh family name.

Put that together with my Cherokee blood from my grandmother of my mother's side (last name Deason from intermarriage with white), who was only 5'3" and had brown skin with greenish eyes, so figure maybe her great grandmother was pure Cherokee. Then I have German as the father of my mother carried the last name Hartwick. And then finally some sort of southern French, Italian, or Spanish blood with the last name Primo for the mother of my father. The very long nose and bodacious figure comes from her.

Any way, I can see all those characteristics in me. I was closest to my grandfather who you can clearly see looks Irish or Welsh (I will find his photo and come back to add it later on the post). He was the most compassionate man. His father was a Baptist minister and they used to give groceries to the poor blacks in New Orleans. The man would give me the shirt off his back if I asked for it. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for any body for as long as it was moral. We used to have long discussions about religion and morality. He was my best friend and in ways my true father. We did everything together when I was younger teenager. I remember he used to bring me bowling and he had introduced me to the sport. I think I bowled a 255 at age 13. He would take me to the track and time me. He would bring me to football practice every day and patiently watch the practice and bring me home to their house where we would eat our traditional foods in New Orleans such as boiled crabs and crawfish with Saltine crackers and Dixie beer, or red beans with sausage & rice.

Even though he worked for the City government as a sales tax accessor (he was a CPA accountant by education) and he said "you can never fight City Hall", he had an independent mind and I think he loved freedom. He never failed to support my crazy endeavors such as when I refused lucrative job offers out of college to make my own software company and he was my first accountant and basically taught me double-entry accounting along the way.

His intellect, wit, honesty, and compassion. You have to admire that culture where ever it originated from. Maybe it was Welsh?

I also clearly inherited some of the traits of a native warrior, which has sometimes been my downfall. When I was in elementary school I used to like to punch concrete. I used to imagine taking bullets and continue charging forward. I saw in a Western movie and it just seemed to fit me. The other traits of needing to get off alone with nature. Laying in the grass, hating to wear shoes, nor underwear (in elementary!), refusing braces on my teeth (to mom's consternation), etc.. Also like natives, I don't handle alcohol well.

I also inherited some of the perfectionist and attention to pedantic details of the German, but other times I will lose patience due to my restless native blood. When I am healthy (not suffering M.S.), I literally can't work at the desk until I go make myself physically relaxed by running 5 miles or something.

The southern French or Italian blood from the Primo I can see it in my love for foods and cooking. I see also in my very, very talkative nature at times.



So it seems Scotland may break away from UK after all? They are different than the city folk in London?


Generally it seems that if the economy gets bad enough, that is when the differences in culture will be amplified, because communities need to pull together during hard times. It remains to be seen if harmony can be sustained between very different cultural backgrounds if the economy gets bad enough. The other unknown is how bad will the economy be.

I will be thinking about this and reading what others think.

My sister's college graduation with Shelby Sr.:



Myself in 1985 next to Shelby Sr. and my attorney father in the red shirt with Primo grandmother in the center. The man sitting down is not a blood relative. Those are my cousins and the little boy is my half-brother on father's side.



Myself again with my beloved grandfather (I really do miss him when I see this pic). I was in top condition at that time able to run a sub-35 10 km.



Myself in the late 1980s in my early 20s when I launched Neocept WordUp software venture:



These were circa 1993 - 1995 when I worked on what is now Corel Painter:



This photo has special significance to me, because later that evening of 12/1/1999 (Dec. 1 1999) at age 34, I was attacked and lost the vision in my right eye. My CoolPage software was just starting to become very popular and the money was flowing in. I took some time to go R & R and ended up sending my life into a spiral for the next years (1.5 years in surguries to save the eye which cost me $100,000 because I didn't believe in medical insurance and still don't). The second pic is mid-2001 when I was recovering and starting to workout again:



Here is my German ancestry grandfather, Cherokee descent grandmother, and that is myself carrying Lambie. The old car reminds me how old I am:



Here is my mother, her belated mother, her now age 70 brother, my belated sister, and my half-sister back in the late 1990s. You can see the Cherokee blood on this side of the family:



Here I am in Corpus Christi, Texas in 2003, my kids have finally arrived from the Philippines and I am trying to hold my family together (but failing):





And finally we get to 2015 just so no one can accuse me of scamming or hiding my identity:



Note these photos above and below were taken 2014 or early 2015 before my M.S. worsened over the past few months due to eating too much meat, but you can see that gut dysbiosys was causing me to eat too much and gain too much weight. I was feeding the bad bacteria. In a matter of weeks in 2012 I ballooned up from 72 kilos to peak of 85 kilos. My weight is back down now. Even I was somewhat strong in these photos (not super, only benching 1.2x my weight nothing spectacular), I was no more strong than I am at 74 kilos when healthy. I had squatted up to 400 lbs when I was at 74 kilos in my 20s, so I can't classify the photos below as super strong, just super gut wrenching determination. I was really fighting this M.S., but maybe that isn't apparent from the photo that next day after the workout I was going to bed laden with severe CFS:

I have come across Owen Jones, I cannot remember much about him, but I remember disliking his glorification/absolution of responsibility of the poor, despite his best intentions he still sees them as children that need helping, perhaps I misread his opinions. I should probably make an effort to skim through some of his books.
Among those who understand how the previous generations benefited there is resentment or frustration. Which could well lead to some radical policies in the future- rent controls, price freezes on utilities ect...

Yes, I'd agree on your last comment. People get rabid when the NHS is threatened, despite it being a shambling inefficient mess. If I had to make a one line comment it would certainly be that real change would occur if all of a sudden the NHS becomes inviable. But by then perhaps it would be too late.

"implicit backing of sections of the US these countries were essentially invaded for 'liberalisation' of markets."

THis is presently ongoing in East Africa and my country, and a broader strategy for other countries on the African continent. Chinese on it too but, US has many tentacles - IMF, WB, Development funds, software companies, NGOs, OBama celebrity etc

This is an interesting talk of M. Armstrong from Jan 2015. He talks about Europe and Greece crisis, but also a fairly bold endgame. Nice to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRJUVMrG6uE

I like that you brought this up. Honestly, I think many indigenous Brits (especially the youngers ones) are becoming more inward and serious with the harder times recently. They've worked out that we could be in serious trouble. They are trying to figure out what their future should be and they know they're going to have to dig deep. I see cockiness and over-confidence mostly in the immigrant population, who are glamourised and promoted by the mass media, and have the false confidence of having a Western civilisation simply handed to them on a plate.

Broadly, but it depends just how savage Cameron's cuts turn out to be.


Utter shock from them I should think. It would seem inconceivable that their world could be turned upside down. Maybe a mixture of compassion and social unrest, but probably on a smaller scale than say France. We bungled the Peasants' Revolt in 1381.


I was 18 when she came to power. It did seem like some sort of revolution at the time; a very British revolution, you might say, with the dismantling of turbulent unions, widespread cuts, and the move away from traditional industry to finance and the service sector. Many working-class voters loved the fact they could buy thier social (council) housing at bargain prices and play at being shareholders. MA is certainly a big fanboy of hers. At the time it seemed too radical to be conservative with a small "c". She has had a lasting effect on Britain. Personally, I despised the woman (so too Tony Blair, to balance things a little). Though I'll concede there has been no Prime Minister in her league since then.


Unfortunately, I'm unable to say anything useful regarding how we handled it in comparison. But my 90-year-old father lived through it, experiencing very real poverty through the '30s, significantly worse than what we are currently experiencing, or what most younger Brits could even conceive of. It has clearly scarred him psychologically. Brits were far more deferential back then than they are now, and bore it with a stiff upper lip and made the best of things without complaining, which would be unlikley now I feel. It's what fed the appetite for change after WWII, with the introduction of the NHS and Welfare State in times which were even more debt-ridden than today. This folk memory, I believe, pervades the British culture even now, so that we are very attached to what we see as a very civilized resource.


I hope more Brits will offer their own opinions and insights here.


That's interesting. That kind of chimes with what I have absorbed by reading a number of American blogs and forums over the last year or two. Especially what you say about Texas.

OK, I'll bid you goodnight.

I'd like to give you some input here, as an Englishman. I'm 35 and I think my position is shared by many between the ages of around 25 upwards.

This is the way I personally see it. Probably a third of the English people, half of the Welsh population, and half of northern Ireland would broadly agree with this outlook.

First of all, the Scottish independence movement is an EU/globalist trojan horse. The Scots are promised a Nordic-style 'easy life' welfare state by their supposed 'nationalist' party, the SNP, which is actually a social democratic party in favour of mass immigraton, big government, extreme political correctness and the nanny state. The EU has also created a fake nationalist party in Wales, but the Welsh aren't as easily tricked.

It's obvious that true independence (for anybody) would mean energy independence and the capability to issue and use your own decentralised currency. The SNP does not emphasise individual rights and falls ways short of delivering true freedom. Instead, Scotland will end up following the way of Sweden, which has been a disaster socially, culturally and economically.

To put it briefly, the English and Welsh are typically anti-globalisation and anti-EU. The EU is just seen as a financial racket for French and German civil servants to earn high wages, at our expense. They do not respect our national sovereignty or way of life (at best) but the suspicion is growing quickly that they ultimately want to eradicate us as an ethnic group. Honestly, the EU is just seen as another Nazi movement, flipped around 180 degrees, to give it a different superficial image. We know fascism when we see it. And it has arrived again. People have been slow to wake up, but I think they see it now.

As for the Labour Party, they are seen as a joke by much of the population, and are basically regarded as anti-white racists. UKIP has eaten into their vote considerably.

If Scotland gains independence, the English/Welsh will probably never again elect a Labour Prime Minister. The only way Corbyn will be chosen, is if the general election is rigged by our hidden controllers.

Thinking more about this, I think you are telling me the Brits will resist any changes. And the youth will eventually have to revolt and take over once their unemployment gets severe enough?

Or will the Knowledge Age arrive soon enough and the youth will make the transition in time? (doubtful)

I have a new Brit neighbor. Looks to be in his early 30s. He is supporting his filipina fiance, her mother, etc.. What happens if he can't continue that lifestyle. How would his nonchalance change.

Well I remember one day he couldn't get access to his funds, and he was livid. He was in the middle of the street screaming on his mobile phone.

So what you two are telling me is the Socialism 2.0 in the UK will be a compromise version that acknowledges the boomers have cheated the youth?

Boomers in the UK are willing to sacrifice?

But what changes if the economy gets really bad and many boomers are suffering?

Wasn't Thatcher a revolution or was she just restoring Brit conservatism?

How did the Brits handle the Great Depression differently than the rest of Europe?

I am really lacking the knowledge set. I'd need to research all these to get some insight.

I can just tell you the USA politics is highly polarized. The USA is no longer united by culture and language. There are regions that are still more united than not, e.g. many of the whites escaped California for the NorthWest. Texas is its own country, etc.

bigtimespaghetti, I hadn't read your post when I made mine, so it was interesting to see your take. You make some good points, particularly the two above IMO. I'm sure if I were in my 20s now I'd feel pretty resentful and cheated by the hand that recent boomer govts have dealt them, in terms of debt, inequality of opportunity and lack of access to affordable accommodation. How will this pan out I wonder.

Have you come across Owen Jones? I see him being a significant figure in Labour's future.

Brits historically are not extremists, so I think they would have to be pushed pretty hard towards the brink to revolt in any meaningful way.

How are UK people distinct from European mainlanders?

Blimey, how long have you got! I guess a few more Brits could chime in here to broaden your sample size. My English socialist friend I told you about a while back has lived in France for 30 years and would probably concur with the following, as he has said as much:

We are conservative in both senses, so dislike change; tolerant; hate upstarts; inventive; muddlers; complacent; moaners (whinging poms!); often uncouth and arrogant; would probably only consider revolution if the NHS were threatened with extinction; unlikely to describe ourselves as European.

Will the UK split because there are major differences in values or is the socialism united?

Brits consider themselves to be fair-minded and generous... up to a point. So if they feel someone is "taking the piss" they will quickly change their tune. Except it has been interesting in the last couple of weeks to see the volte face take place in their opinion of refugees/immigrants, from what seemed to be veiled intolerance to apparent acceptance - well at least for now. I'm unsure about any major differences in the way we perceive socialism; the Welfare State here was taken for granted as a solid institution until recently, even I feel by non-activist Conservative voters. My own view is that most Brits wouldn't be too fussed if we broke away from Europe, and the English wouldn't be too bothered if the Scots devolved one day.

Are the youth of the UK united in this delusion?

Having just turned 54, I'm not sure I'm qualified to comment. I find it difficult to find anyone with an opinion from that age group. Generally want to have their cake and eat it I suppose.

I can understand your recent frustrations with Europeans who I think you have described as too keen to go on vacation than to knuckle down to a project. I know Brits would very much resent you taking their holiday entitlement off them. Am I right in thinking around 50% of Americans take no time off at all from work? To me that is going too far to the other extreme. Europeans work to live, I'd say, rather than vice versa.

Since THX is a boomer, maybe it's good to have a contrasting/complementing view of mellennial too:

The UK seems to be buying into the centre-right, 'just get on' and the UK economy seems to be stabilising. So that is perceived as good, despite it being driven by debt and housing 'equity'. Also the dead cat housing bounce in the UK has been large (mostly in the south). The London bubble seems ready to pop- as I have mentioned earlier in this thread I think.

The activist youth are united- how many that really makes up in my opinion is currently very small but certainly growing, media can sensationalise these vibrant useful idiots imo. Thus their noisiness on social media and silly protests. There are still many thinking individuals who are extremely sceptical, perhaps when the older generations die off this balance will be tilted in the left's favour. Anecdotally many middle-class colleagues have expressed some admiration of Corbyn. I do not understand why they don't see he will prey on their sense of social justice before raping their wallets given a chance. This seems to be mainly exasperation with the current political class. Also anecdotally my (feminist) friend and her partner voted conservative, out of self interest as they could see through the poor offering of the previous leftist leader. One is from South Africa and has a much better understanding of the dangers of socialism than the feminist. So again, thinking people seem to be seeing past the rhetoric. As for the masses, I'm not convinced.

There is a great sense of entitlement amongst my peers. But I do not feel my social circles are broad enough to indicate with any certainty. My libertarian leanings alienate me from any political conversation online on social media with them. Despite the entitlement, my colleagues work hard and are more liberal than truly socialist- showing more fear of freedom than respect for it. Drugs, hookers? They are fine with that. Guns? Not so much. Britain is especially firearm-phobic. Despite this, there is obviously tons of gun crime in London and some pretty severe gun crime here in Amsterdam too.
Most of the younger Europeans I meet, are staunchly invested in liberal idealogy. Thinking that the state can fix things and protect them, there is an undertone that socialism just hasn't been done 'right' yet.

With all that said, I think a rise of the far-right is inevitable with the tide of economic migrants/refugees that are flooding into Germany and the rest of europe. I do not think Britain will fall for the hard left of Corbyn, I would be stunned if they did. And then looking for work in Asia most likely. But never is a strong word, I don't know what the future holds. The current conservative government is on this ice with my generation (which up until now has been largely marginalised as non voting/non political) and are simply the best of two bad options. Now I reflect on it, I do not see any half way decent political faction that does not represent the same old nonsense that has been tried again and again.

I could write more, but I think you are familiar with most of what I have to say, I would love to hear THX thoughts on this.

I believe Armstrong has been wondering that too. He was hoping they would resist being folded into the EU socialism.

Perhaps you can tell me. How are UK people distinct from European mainlanders?

Will the UK split because there are major differences in values or is the socialism united? The USA will split apart because there are still Americans who are libertarian.

Are the youth of the UK united in this delusion?

My guess the youth in the USA are pretty much also all falling into the same socialism, but the USA has distinct cultural differences such as Texans being very individual property rights and gun rights.

I can't really picture what the European youth will do. I suppose they will either escape to greener pastures such as Asia and those that remain will bite deep in tripling down on totalitarianism socialism. I will tell you my dealings with potential programmers from Europe was disappointing. Attitude is very entitled. Perhaps that is the case of all youth in the West today. Totally unlike my generation.

My sample size is too small. I don't know Europe well. You tell me.

Yes, I go with what you are saying above, but what I was asking - and maybe I worded my question too ambiguously - was how do you think the UKs fate will differ from that of the rest of europe in the short-term?

Feeling slightly guilty about distracting you from coding btw

THX 1138, Europeans never tasted America's rugged individualism apparently. The Wild West of Europe probably meant no agriculture and hunting gathering. Rome built the roads of the lands they conquered. Then the collapse of Western Roman Empire into apparently feudalism. Then required the Black Death to rise out of abject squalor to start industrializing (modernizing) agriculture, but then the Little Ice Age hit. The timing of the USA and the geography with the Mississippi River bisecting from North to South and East/West coasts servicing trade with entire globe, meant the USA was a massive growth engine and opportunities for individuals to stake their claim and make it. As one 64-year old Belgian told me, "everything you touched in the USA turned to gold if you were willing to work hard, but that time is no more".

Realize the USA is not yet one 309.6 year Ice Age cycle old yet. The USA is a fleeting phenomenon because tangible geography will matter less in the Knowledge Age.

No, I wasn't thinking of Farage and UKIP. More along the lines of being a vestige of the earlier european Classical Libertarianism ancestry, coming out of an aristocratic and feudal background compared to the more contemporary American interpretation, growing out of self-reliance and resistance to tyranny. More to do with differences of what constitutes freedom between the two, I guess; perhaps a wider acceptance (resignation?) by Europeans to a larger role for the State - difficult to put your finger on, but I perceive it.

tabnloz I had similar thoughts about the oil companies were raping Venezuela first, just not enough time to write it all down. Thanks for expanding on the thoughts.

Why do y'all think I want to make a rock solid crypto-currency. And then lots of ecosystem software from that money raised. I see the decentralized Knowledge Age as they only way the common man can break free of this top-down, dual-headed morass.