Trying to make sense of things for myself. What does it mean for the future?
In the last few days I got a lot of messages, emails, and letters from companies I am doing business with, organizations I have used in the past and friends.
The main message was: What we see in the media about the health crisis and the police brutality and the ideas of using military force against the citizens are bad approaches that we need to overcome.
I totally agree with those notions. I had seen the signs well before this all developed. That’s why I have made plans to be able to react should things get even worse in the next months or years.
There is this old saying about “history repeating itself” and I think that is happening here. I always thought that statement or saying is strange. Why would something, especially when it was horrible, repeat itself? Who or what would do that or want to do that?
Now I think I have an explanation that works for me:
It’s not history as an abstract “thing”, it’s the force of nature that allows systems to develop. I can think of it in a Darwinian way where nature allows things to develop and see if they are able to survive and result in better solutions than what had existed before.
Staying with that understanding, some of these cycles can take a long time relative to the lifespan of a human being. In ancient times the system of religion-based leaders was developed and tested:
- remember the god-like Pharaohs. That didn’t really work well for the majority of the people and ultimately failed.
- Next came the military-based system and a belief system of multiple gods responsible for all walks of life in Greece — didn’t work.
- Then nature tried leading and developing a society based on military power and a semi-democratic system in Rome– lasted for a good amount of time but as the people at the top showed more and more emotions under the beef of “self-actualization” and “self — fulfillment” — remember Nero, that system failed.
- Then we tried monarchy for several centuries across most of Europe including Russia — didn’t work
- How about Nationalism — Nazis, Japanese and Italian nationalists? That took 2 major wars and was quickly dismissed.
- Most recently we tried the idea of superpowers based on both military and economic might. That’s what we are testing right now and we have already seen some things that don’t work in that system. The most obvious part is that this system needs for the superpower to have a strong foundation as a reference to have a chance.
The last week or so I have been reminded that the United States does not miss any opportunity to tell everybody how special and exceptional it is and why it’s constitution and the founding fathers created something genius.
The truth is that crisis needs leadership. If a moron was able to become the leader of a superpower, that leadership does not exist. What people are turning to is the “strength of the institutions” that are supposed to protect the system, provide accountability, and offer solutions. It’s a great idea because it allows the system to work even if the person at the top does not function as expected.
The confirmation of my suspicion about the American system has now been proven in front of everybody’s eyes.
A system without a solid foundation will ultimately fail. The United States were built on a foundation of genocide against the native population of the country immediately followed by slavery to get work done and an economy growing for white people. Racism, slavery, and genocide are the three pillars the system of the United States is built on. Spike Lee, the famous film director found similar words this week.
In some cases, the recognition of weaknesses in a foundation can lead to changes. Weaknesses can be addressed, and the foundation repaired. Since 1492 and especially since 1787, with the establishment of the US constitution and written manifestation of the current system, there were many opportunities to address the clear weaknesses in the foundation.
Those in power never did and most of them never really wanted to address any of it. The legal elimination of slavery by Lincoln is similar to putting some putty on the cracks in a foundation so one can paint over and no longer has to look at the cracks. It’s not going to remove the real reasons for the cracks and instability.
With all that being obvious now, the question of the future and the desire for hope is emerging. I have seen two solutions that have been applied. One much more often than the other:
- Use of force to remove the unrest — see Trump, President Li Peng -Tiananmen Square, Arab revolution, Ukraine, and on and on and on
- Loss of power and standing in protest — see Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, etc.
Something is giving me hope. In each of natures failures of new approaches to finding a system in which humanity can actually reach a level where the species is willing to work together for the survival of the whole and prosper, preserving nature and exploring new worlds, only a small part of the overall population was involved and affected.
The numbers have gone down with each attempt nature has made and for the United States it’s only 4.25% of the total global population involved in the “great American experiment”. The other 95.72% are testing other systems in the meantime.
It’s obvious to all now (on TV, in social media every day) that a system based on a bad and unattended foundation does not work. If you add the narcissism that is rapidly growing under the guise of “growth of national greatness” the downward trend will probably accelerate.
I believe that other systems being tested right now will soon replace this failed attempt. The United States will not quickly lose all its power and disappear. There will be ups and downs, but as more and more countries realize that the United States is no longer a friend, a dependable partner, a country based on principles and moral values, they will turn towards better solutions.
We have examples like Great Britain and Germany who rose to significant heights and when it became obvious that the ideas and approaches didn’t work, the world moved on.
Yes, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and the United States are still around. They all were great and yielded huge power for a time. I know a new approach will be tested and the existing ones, if they are willing, can adjust and build new relationships. The old is allowed to return to the status of a minor player among others.
Maybe the next trial nature starts for humanity will be more successful. I am hopeful it will be.
In the meantime, I don’t know how many more crazy things we’ll get here in the US. That’s why I am prepared. I would rather try my best to be part of a new approach than watching and being pulled into the maelstrom of a falling empire.
For you as investors and hopefully soon joining our community of Ideal Wealth Growers I suggest not looking at the obvious places in America that are most affected by the changes that occur, but rather at the places that will remain good investments no matter what happens with the overall system.
Depending on the willingness to take risks there are good investments in every place, including Egypt, Greece, Germany, and the United States.
In case you are wondering, I will keep my 9 investment properties in the US. The basic need for shelter will not go away and as long as the US Dollar is the lead currency in the world I will make good passive income with them. If there is a change from that reality I can always sell and invest in other places.
The changes we are talking about are not very quick, even though the news media likes to make us believe things change overnight. I think my investments will perform well in the US for the next 20 years. I am not so sure about myself as a person, so I make sure I will be.
I would like to read from you, as my readers, what you see as places for hope as well.
Systems change and we need to be willing to adjust while falling back on our strong foundations of principles, believes, morals, and ethics.
Be well and be safe
Axel