It has been said that politics is downstream from culture. Looking back, the 2010s would make a strong case for this. Politics was still appealing to people's concerns of yesteryear. Social movements were gaining traction underground. The 2016 Brexit vote exposed just how out of touch politicians had become. But even by the time they tried to recover from those concerns, society had moved on to become even more divided. The decade ended with politicians grappling with how to appeal to these polar extremes and their respective movements. Our leaders started the decade feeling confident with central banks injecting the economy to calm the storm. They failed to dissect the original crime scene and assumed people would move on. They were wrong. Then they adjusted by either doubling down on status quo prevailing, or pretending to be the one to make necessary reforms.
Donnie Darko
Three Men and a Decade Part III
Society's anger began the decade pointed at the financial sector, but quickly manifested itself (and escalated) into a more damaging form by the decade's end. Before 2010 it appeared you could live as you please, even if you wanted to write a blog or post images of your life on Facebook. That all changed in our decade and regular people became the target of mob anger. Nobody's experience mirrors these changes and the cultural themes emerging better than an obscure blogger out of the US, known as RooshV.
Three Men and a Decade Part II
By 2010 there was a lot of concern boiling among everyday people that was electrified by the crisis brought on from the financial sector, but politicians remained clueless. These problems were not broadly evident or believed until elections in the middle of the decade. If politicians were aware of any of this and leading in front, then someone like David Cameron wouldn't be out of politics today. A shining star in the Conservative party in the 2000's, his popularity reached a crescendo in 2015, but he had a major blind spot. His fall was as quick as his rise and he is now out of the big picture. Aspirations he built all his life were crushed. His failure revealed all kinds of societal wounds to those among the populace that were not already conscious.
Three Men and a Decade Part I
Three figures came to mind recently when thinking about the past ten years. I was looking back on my own life during this era, thinking about my career and social life and how it is odd they fit nicely against the backdrop of the external environment - the economic, political and cultural developments that took place over the same time frame. The previous decade will always bring the greatest memories of my life, alongside some of the darkest in an equal counterpunch of regret. I think similar could be said about all three of these men I thought of, and the decade itself. The future feels a lot more serious and a lot less fun than the past ten years, despite the hard times that did occur. Each of these men were impacted by the period and came out of the decade very differently than they came in. Perhaps we all do, but their transitions represent some important macro themes that we are facing today and they played very central roles while the change occurred. The men that best symbolise the "2010's" for me are a former hedge-fund manager, a world leader and an obscure blogger out of America.
Comfort is a Dreadful Thing
The year started off well. I had a new girlfriend and a new job. I had committed myself to a stable existence – supported by the idea of a long term relationship a stable career. The future seemed set. There was one problem – things were too comfortable.
Siloviki 