Thursday, January 23, 2020

The Collapse XLIII: Promoting The End


24 October 20XX

My Dear Lucilius:

We have had more of a go of power here this week, so I have been to catch up both on your own news as well as the news of the larger world as a whole. I am thrilled to hear you all have gotten your Winter Garden in – in our hometown, if you do not get it in by the end of October the ground will become far too muddy far too quickly.

The news of the world brings me considerably less joy, of course. Even with the minimal “official” reporting that seems to be available, it would seem that we are looking at nothing less than the breakdown of civilization. Whether it is on the scale of the Collapse of the Western Roman Empire or just a setback remains to be seen.

Oh, I believe that this collapse could have happened at any point leading up to this in the years past – all the signs of what are now living were there, the crumbling of the edifice quietly going on behind us as we watched (as I mentioned last letter). But for so many years we had heard for so long the refrain that the end was “almost here”, how the country “could not go on anymore”, how the economy was on “the point of collapse” - and now it was on “the point of collapse”. And so on. One feels one had lived through 50 near misses before we actually arrived here.

After being pummeled with this (if one was paying attention at all to it), I would if the vast majority simply tuned that out: being told that things are failing long enough without them failing and before one knows it, everyone simply ignores the present and moves on.

One assumes as well that a goodly portion of those who were shouting “The End Is Nigh” were those that sought to benefit – mostly financially – from their predictions of doom. Promoting The End is always rather popular, it seems: one can sell to fear almost easily as one can sell to desire and when The End does not come, the money still remains. I think there were some that were sincere in their commentary and warning but many, many were not. It was just another avenue of parting someone from their money.

Either way, society became a sleepwalker, moving through sign after sign that something drastic was going to happen until one day – seemingly without warning but actually well telegraphed by anyone paying attention – thing simply changed.

I look out my window this afternoon at the lead grey sky and the snow overlaying everything, snug in my little world but very conscious of the fact that unlike years past my ability to recover from an emergency or error is no longer assured by my ability to call or drive a few minutes to find what I need. Many people may have missed the signs, but we are all now living out the consequences.

I wonder if those who Promoted The End found themselves ready, or were as cynical about their claims as any snake oil peddler usually is.

Your Obedient Servant, Seneca

4 comments:

  1. I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head.

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  2. The 50 "near misses" were dry runs to the collapse.
    That many in real life refuse to see coming; as you say.
    Another good update, TB. 🐰

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  3. Leigh, the preparedness or survivalist or simple living crowd (I guess are that?) never helps itself by constantly being in a state of terror about the potential end. Much like Rapture date setters, eventually they get annoyed.

    Also not helpful is the fact that it sure seems like a great many of the panicked ones also have helpful things they want to sell you to "weather the storm": precious metals, investing schemes, or even just flat out ask for your money to help them continue to "speak truth to the masses" (oddly enough, most of us do it for free).

    The best progress in our cause will be made by those who quietly go about living their lives and demonstrating the advantages to our mindset and our way of life. The truth will out; we just need to live it.

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  4. Thanks Linda!

    Were they dry runs? Probably some of them, but as many of them were heightened to that level by people panicking, which makes them suspect.

    And yes, crying wolf too often creates this kind of thing.

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