"One of my favorite ideas, and one I’m basing the rest of my life on, is this: a man lives two lives."
This sentiment reminds me of the Kurosawa film Ikiru, which means "To Live." That story is apparently adapted from Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." I haven't read the novella, but Ikiru has recently been remade as "Living," starring Bill Nighy.
I really enjoyed working with Russell on this. He's good people and put up with my nit-picky editing, too. I haven't seen that film -- thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you for the essay. It's interesting that so many who reject the obvious lies have abuse in their childhood. Our eyes are open to the grooming and gaslighting more than most.
I need to delve into the Disaffected Discord. I've been on a few times since subscribing to Josh, but haven't figured it out well enough to do much. Technology is not my best friend. My oldest son calls me Amish.
> "Being Conservative to me boils down to rugged individuality, chivalry, community, protecting the most vulnerable, supporting the traditional family structure, supporting religious freedoms, and small overall Government."
Oddly enough, that's very very similar to how I would describe libertarianism...
Good article, interesting to see that perspective. For all that they're our closest English language neighbor, I don't really know much about wild Canuckistan. I suppose that makes some sense, given how much closer I live to Old Mexico.
I live so close to Canada that I have a bank account I can't access via the bank website, because they geo-block everyone outside the US and their system isn't sophisticated enough to see that I'm on *this* side of the border. And I didn't know a lot of things about Canada I learned from Russell in reading this!
I'm about a 4 hour drive from the southern border. Not close enough for geotagging to fail, but still pretty close. Never been to Canada, the closest I've gotten was driving a tractor trailer through Detroit and past the offramp for the bridge that goes there.
I agree with several tenants of Libertarianism, however I recognize the need for a stable Provincial and Federal Government structure and there should be some guard rails in society. I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Thank you so much for reading.
I think you've confused libertarianism with anarchocapitalism. Libertarians (at least in the US) don't object to the existence of the state or federal governments, they just think they should A.) Stay within the limits prescribed by their respective constitutions, and B.) Do a heck of a lot less than they do now. As the saying goes "A government that can give you everything you want can take everything you have." Though please note, I'm certainly not trying to convert you or anything, I just find it somewhat amusing how much we're so many folks' Boogeyman when we mostly just want the institutions to follow the rules as written -- even if that means following those rules to change the rules -- and be left alone.
I had my own encounter with the Teamsters as a UPS employee years ago. The union had decided to strike, and when we workers showed up at 3 am for work, a bunch of very big guys I had never seen before with loud voices were there, shouting at management. My coworkers and I were silent. I wanted to go in to work, because otherwise I wouldn't get paid, but I didn't due to the fear that I would find my car flipped over and set on fire.
It's not about left versus right, liberal versus conservative. It's about violent versus peaceful.
More profoundly, Russell shines a light on how actions and behavior are so deeply and unconsciously affected by childhood experience. To a certain extent, we are all being manipulated by early trauma without even realizing it. Sometimes for good, sometimes for ill.
I worked in a grocery store in high school and was pressured into joining the UFCW. As far as I can tell the only difference it made is that the steward, a genuinely nice guy, stopped by occasionally to ask me how the managers were treating me and if everything was ok. He had several kids and was easy to talk to and really made me feel like he cared. Which, as a kid who knew nothing about how to cope with adults who abused their power, I did appreciate. I suppose in my case it was worth the dues. But I can't think of any other difference it made.
Nice that you had a good experience. I suppose that you never went on strike.
The real strength of a union is its ability to strike. But for me, I have to ask the question: Is it OK, morally or ethically, to use violence to get what I want? And, for me, the answer is always "No".
"Striking", in itself, isn't a violent act. In fact, as a mostly not very union friendly libertarian, I think that striking by itself is a profoundly ethical act. All you're doing is saying that you won't work any more.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the time it doesn't stop there. Either there are Pinkertons out cracking heads, or there are striking workers attacking scabs, or both.
But a proper strike is basically a game of poker. The workers are betting that the boss can't find adequate replacement workers, and the boss is betting that he can. If the workers are skilled, this works out. It's not a great position to be in if it's a union of unskilled workers, since the boss probably *can* find people who can do the job.
Thank you for your thoughtful and informative guest post Russell. I grew up on the other side of Lake Ontario and always considered Canada a home away from home. I travelled there multiple times every year of my life until the world turned upside down. I do miss it. It’s been years now and I sometimes can’t believe the things I see and hear from my northern neighbors. I appreciate your providing a unique perspective. I feel like you’re updating me on long lost friends.
I believe deeply that understanding the dualities you highlight throughout your piece are the key to righting the disastrous course we are on. Those, like yourself, who have the experience to recognize what’s happening carry a burden of helping others who cannot see. Thank you for stepping up.
Thank you so much Robert for your kind comments. I hope you'll come visit us again in the future, our Government may be autocratic but the National parks are as beautiful as ever.
Nothing would make me happier! Sandbanks provincial park is a personal favorite holding many fond memories for me. Perhaps someday soon we can rid ourselves our malevolent geriatric puppets and you folks can put your duplicitous Ken doll aside and we can get back to some semblance of actual life. Thanks again for being part of that solution!
Thank you, so very much, Holly and Russell! I wish no one to have child abuse, physical or mental, but I do wish more people's eye could be opened! Your perspective, Russell, is not much different from mine. I was born in Ohio and have been to Canada many times. I now live in Texas and have been to Mexico, several times. I have come to believe that, while less violent, unions can be very much like cartels: MY WAY OR NO WAY.
I have Canadian friends who unfriended me because of my support for conservative issues. I never told them what to believe but, like my liberal American friends, they can't even listen or look at any idea that doesn't meet their beliefs. I am sharing this with my, soon to be, 15yr old grandson. Again, thank you.
Thank you for the kind words Elise. Canadians can be very ridged in their political beliefs and I am sorry that you were unfriended over your political views.
Thank you, Russell! I've got pretty thick skin. We moved 15 times from the time I was born until I graduated High School. I went to 4 high schools as my Dad was a philanderer and I realized after I became an adult that that was likely why we had to constantly move. So, I've been the new kid on the block, in the school and had to learn to brush "it" off! I am so thankful, though, as I know you are, to have been able to end up where I am at this time, EYES WIDE OPEN! Thank you, again! I hope to read more from you in the future!
I appreciate the author's candor.
"One of my favorite ideas, and one I’m basing the rest of my life on, is this: a man lives two lives."
This sentiment reminds me of the Kurosawa film Ikiru, which means "To Live." That story is apparently adapted from Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." I haven't read the novella, but Ikiru has recently been remade as "Living," starring Bill Nighy.
I really enjoyed working with Russell on this. He's good people and put up with my nit-picky editing, too. I haven't seen that film -- thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you for reading Jim and the kind words.
Thank you for the essay. It's interesting that so many who reject the obvious lies have abuse in their childhood. Our eyes are open to the grooming and gaslighting more than most.
I think there's something to this. Me for sure, my friend Josh, Russell, many others I met in the Disaffected disorder.
I need to delve into the Disaffected Discord. I've been on a few times since subscribing to Josh, but haven't figured it out well enough to do much. Technology is not my best friend. My oldest son calls me Amish.
Discord is a major time suck, but a nice way to find some community if you can keep yourself from spending all day, every day in it. 😈
The abuse dynamics we see in society are just the abuse dynamics witnessed at home amplified.
> "Being Conservative to me boils down to rugged individuality, chivalry, community, protecting the most vulnerable, supporting the traditional family structure, supporting religious freedoms, and small overall Government."
Oddly enough, that's very very similar to how I would describe libertarianism...
Good article, interesting to see that perspective. For all that they're our closest English language neighbor, I don't really know much about wild Canuckistan. I suppose that makes some sense, given how much closer I live to Old Mexico.
I live so close to Canada that I have a bank account I can't access via the bank website, because they geo-block everyone outside the US and their system isn't sophisticated enough to see that I'm on *this* side of the border. And I didn't know a lot of things about Canada I learned from Russell in reading this!
I'm about a 4 hour drive from the southern border. Not close enough for geotagging to fail, but still pretty close. Never been to Canada, the closest I've gotten was driving a tractor trailer through Detroit and past the offramp for the bridge that goes there.
I agree with several tenants of Libertarianism, however I recognize the need for a stable Provincial and Federal Government structure and there should be some guard rails in society. I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Thank you so much for reading.
I think you've confused libertarianism with anarchocapitalism. Libertarians (at least in the US) don't object to the existence of the state or federal governments, they just think they should A.) Stay within the limits prescribed by their respective constitutions, and B.) Do a heck of a lot less than they do now. As the saying goes "A government that can give you everything you want can take everything you have." Though please note, I'm certainly not trying to convert you or anything, I just find it somewhat amusing how much we're so many folks' Boogeyman when we mostly just want the institutions to follow the rules as written -- even if that means following those rules to change the rules -- and be left alone.
It was a good article, thanks for writing it! 😁
I had my own encounter with the Teamsters as a UPS employee years ago. The union had decided to strike, and when we workers showed up at 3 am for work, a bunch of very big guys I had never seen before with loud voices were there, shouting at management. My coworkers and I were silent. I wanted to go in to work, because otherwise I wouldn't get paid, but I didn't due to the fear that I would find my car flipped over and set on fire.
It's not about left versus right, liberal versus conservative. It's about violent versus peaceful.
More profoundly, Russell shines a light on how actions and behavior are so deeply and unconsciously affected by childhood experience. To a certain extent, we are all being manipulated by early trauma without even realizing it. Sometimes for good, sometimes for ill.
I worked in a grocery store in high school and was pressured into joining the UFCW. As far as I can tell the only difference it made is that the steward, a genuinely nice guy, stopped by occasionally to ask me how the managers were treating me and if everything was ok. He had several kids and was easy to talk to and really made me feel like he cared. Which, as a kid who knew nothing about how to cope with adults who abused their power, I did appreciate. I suppose in my case it was worth the dues. But I can't think of any other difference it made.
Nice that you had a good experience. I suppose that you never went on strike.
The real strength of a union is its ability to strike. But for me, I have to ask the question: Is it OK, morally or ethically, to use violence to get what I want? And, for me, the answer is always "No".
"Striking", in itself, isn't a violent act. In fact, as a mostly not very union friendly libertarian, I think that striking by itself is a profoundly ethical act. All you're doing is saying that you won't work any more.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the time it doesn't stop there. Either there are Pinkertons out cracking heads, or there are striking workers attacking scabs, or both.
But a proper strike is basically a game of poker. The workers are betting that the boss can't find adequate replacement workers, and the boss is betting that he can. If the workers are skilled, this works out. It's not a great position to be in if it's a union of unskilled workers, since the boss probably *can* find people who can do the job.
And there's me rambling on.
Agreed.
Thank you for your thoughtful and informative guest post Russell. I grew up on the other side of Lake Ontario and always considered Canada a home away from home. I travelled there multiple times every year of my life until the world turned upside down. I do miss it. It’s been years now and I sometimes can’t believe the things I see and hear from my northern neighbors. I appreciate your providing a unique perspective. I feel like you’re updating me on long lost friends.
I believe deeply that understanding the dualities you highlight throughout your piece are the key to righting the disastrous course we are on. Those, like yourself, who have the experience to recognize what’s happening carry a burden of helping others who cannot see. Thank you for stepping up.
Well done Holly! This is what I’m here for.
Thank you so much Robert for your kind comments. I hope you'll come visit us again in the future, our Government may be autocratic but the National parks are as beautiful as ever.
Nothing would make me happier! Sandbanks provincial park is a personal favorite holding many fond memories for me. Perhaps someday soon we can rid ourselves our malevolent geriatric puppets and you folks can put your duplicitous Ken doll aside and we can get back to some semblance of actual life. Thanks again for being part of that solution!
Yes! Totally agree!
I'm so glad to know your backstory in more detail, Russell. Really engaging essay.
Thank you Josh. I really appreciate your kind words.
Thank you, so very much, Holly and Russell! I wish no one to have child abuse, physical or mental, but I do wish more people's eye could be opened! Your perspective, Russell, is not much different from mine. I was born in Ohio and have been to Canada many times. I now live in Texas and have been to Mexico, several times. I have come to believe that, while less violent, unions can be very much like cartels: MY WAY OR NO WAY.
I have Canadian friends who unfriended me because of my support for conservative issues. I never told them what to believe but, like my liberal American friends, they can't even listen or look at any idea that doesn't meet their beliefs. I am sharing this with my, soon to be, 15yr old grandson. Again, thank you.
Thank you for the kind words Elise. Canadians can be very ridged in their political beliefs and I am sorry that you were unfriended over your political views.
Thank you, Russell! I've got pretty thick skin. We moved 15 times from the time I was born until I graduated High School. I went to 4 high schools as my Dad was a philanderer and I realized after I became an adult that that was likely why we had to constantly move. So, I've been the new kid on the block, in the school and had to learn to brush "it" off! I am so thankful, though, as I know you are, to have been able to end up where I am at this time, EYES WIDE OPEN! Thank you, again! I hope to read more from you in the future!
That last question made me think of this song https://youtu.be/lc7dmu4G8oc
“ Preserving the old ways from being abused,
Protecting the new ways for me and for you,
What more can we do?”