Go Tribal: Build a Clan
There is something about the highlands and mountains that creates fierce people. Think about the Scottish, Gurkhas, Dagestanis, Chechens, Georgians, Houthis and the ultimate empire killers, the Afghans. Some of the toughest human beings on earth. The tough, desolate and isolated terrains create brutal clannish people. Just like how the deserts and steppes also created tough brutal people like the Moroccan Tauregs, Turks, Mongols and Arabs of the past.
Brutal environments with scarce resources where every scrap was fought for. Clans and close family ties were critical for survival. People who you could count on, people who had your back no matter what. Who would shelter you, feed you and help you when you were sick. This gave you some margin of error and increased your chances of survival. We’re all wired to be tribal to begin with.
These cultural legacies still last into modern times. I remember being told by friends not to mess with Afghanis when I was growing up because when you mess with one of them, you get the whole family. Uncles, brothers, cousins and distant cousins would all come after you. They lived by feuds and as I recall the Ten Rings Boss man of Shang Chi said something along these lines: “A blood debt has to be paid by blood”. Or as was popularized by the Sicilian mafia: the vendetta.
I used to think these things such as clans and tribes were irrelevant & outdated. And they were in the magical global world we lived in. The Pax Americana of globalization where we all prospered together. Those days are over. The cycle has turned.
America, the formerly unified and trusting society is decaying. Broken institutions, broken infrastructure abetted by grifting, corrupt elites grabbing as much loot as they can. No one cares about you or your family, definitely not your politicians. Both Democrats and Republicans are equally venal and useless. Everyone, literally almost everyone is trying to get their bag and I absolutely hate this. We are now in a trustless society where people will be fighting far more than ever for the scraps left over. Dog eat dog.
I saw a Tweet by @Ellliotttb that summed this up: “Everyone hates you and wants to rob you…..anyone associated with the administration, local politicos, a16z, unions, pension consultants, loser real estate syndicators, crypto treasuries, spac sponsors, you’re alone on an island of pick pockets.”
@buccocapital describes the mode we need to work under accordingly: “This is the default state of being alive and operating with this mindset is how you get and stay rich.”
A great economic reset that has huge social implications for everyone. To survive and thrive, we need to learn from our not too distant past. Go tribal. Build your network. A network of brains, brawn, guns and cash. Better yet, build your clan or warband. You’re gonna need it as it’s gonna get ugly for a while.