Degeneracy Is A Symptom

Okay, first, I hate the image associated with this one. It's clearly AI slop but it's what the author used and it does frame the content well. Despite that, I understand how the aesthetic can undermine a first impression.

Secondly, I have (unfortunately) read my fair share of heady think-pieces and philosophical articles that use language so dense and obtuse that it immediately makes any potential enjoyment of the message vanish. This article comes close to that but, like the above image, don't let that steer you away.

Now, with those caveats in place, I highly suggest spending some clear headed reading time with "Degeneracy is a Symptom" - a thought provoking piece about the current state of the world. It's a disservice to try and summarize it all at once, as there are many threads that tie up into a nice ball of yarn. There's a section in there talking about the ebb and flow of the economy that really sparked a moment of understanding for me about MAGA thinking and today's bend toward Idiocracy-type behaviors.

I am not the kind of reader that cares too much for philosophical and economic frameworks like "Thorstein Veblen's Conspicuous Consumption" or "Hyman Minsky's Financial Instability Hypothesis." I'm just not that heady or smart. I also know there is more than enough text out there about the doom-and-gloom of the current world, you don't need more of it. I don't think this article is that. I think it's a thing to think about that provides a bit of a map for where we are and where we might be headed. Certainly worth thinking about.