Seeking solace? Answers? Ways to hope and cope? Or are you being more pragmatic and planning and adapting? You don’t have to pick only one. The only constant is change, duh. You know that. But knowing that may not seem like enough. As I sat here in my tiny house trying to decide what to type about, I realized that my quandary was about what to write about. Then I realized, it would be best to write about all of it; or as much as is practical considering certain practical limits in my life as a human. Here’s a quick tour of things I am considering.

Trust me. I’ll get around to my personal finance implications.

Politics
Can’t ignore it, even though I prefer not to write about it. Regardless of which party won in the US elections, tens of millions of voters were disappointed (#massiveunderstatement) The election didn’t resolve any issues or form any cohesive coalitions. Both parties are seeing internal fractures. Fractures are also happening outside of organized parties. That will be contentious, but maybe that’s what’s necessary to redefine or remove a duopoly.

Accelerationists
Some people want to drive the systems to failure because they see that as the way through to more than redefining and removing a political duopoly. Societal norms and technological advances should shift, too, so they seem to think. That may be true. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of any accelerationists who, whether explicitly or out of ignorance, aren’t willing to sacrifice millions or billions of other humans. The richest may hope to ride it out and survive. I also haven’t heard of any who think the cause is so just, necessary, and noble that they will sacrifice themself.

Patches
People and organizations seem to be emboldened to refocus and concentrate their resources on more specific tasks. If global and national initiatives haven’t succeeded at changing societies and cultures, then maybe working at the local level can succeed. Some legal defenses may be required. Some legal offenses may also be required. Many lawyers will be employed.

Climate
Climate isn’t laughing through all of this. Climate is a noun, not an entity – unless you want to discuss Gaia principles. Climate doesn’t laugh or cry. Climate does what climate does. Humans, however, are witnessing changes that are no longer academic, regardless of pundits. Millions of people are relocating, or trying to use technology to enable life in increasingly harsh environments, or adapting and coping to an amazing degree because they can’t afford to move or spend money on counter-measures. 

Aliens
It’s never aliens, until it is. I think an undiscovered, terrestrial intelligence is unlikely, but more likely than another intelligence from within our solar system, and much more likely than another intelligence from outside our solar system. All of the above is possible, too. The base words in UFO and UAP are appropriate: unidentified, flying, objects, aerial, phenonema. None of those words are ‘extraterrestrial’ or ‘alien’. I contend that one possibility is that, IF, IF, they are a real ‘they’, they could be from Earth or within our solar system. We’ve explored very little of Earth’s oceans, and subterranean realms. IF, IF, our model of physics is correct, then traveling between planets is more likely than traveling between stars or galaxies. And, readers who have read my sci-fi novels Firewatcher and Fire Race may notice that I can conceive of extra-dimensional travel that ignores our currently accepted travel limitations. Or, they’re all just pretty lights confusing our armed forces. Shrug.

Artificial Intelligence
It has always been sad and entertaining watching governments try to keep up with technology. Governments had a chance until the start of the Industrial Revolution. Since then, well, they barely kept up with the railroads and haven’t updated those policies in decades. Ask Amtrak. So, now, artificial intelligence? It has more autonomy than climate does. AI really can laugh at the pace of politics. Debates continue on how to constrain AI, yet we can’t even contain spammers. AI will advance regardless of policies. Whether it ever achieves sentience or not, it will at least reach a level of perceived competence that challenges human skills. Note that I emphasize ‘perceived’. If true competence was an objective criterion for managing human society, very few politicians would be elected.

Implications
Much of what I described ignores Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. That’s sad. It is also a possibility of an overlooked opportunity. Build your own life raft, both to protect yourself but also to provide safety to others. Granted, some of the accelerationists are building yachts and bunkers, but they are a silly few, and I am glad there are so few of them. 

Build your own life raft. Housing, food, and sanitation are a good baseline to establish. All of those things are available in a 16th-floor penthouse, but that is more fragile than some acreage on arable land above the flood one in a temperate climate with adequate rain. Add in education, especially if children are involved. Health. Healthcare is good too, but that doesn’t necessitate health insurance. Insurance is not care, I am sure. Add to your pyramid as is reasonable.

Be aware of the major changes, but first, react to your basic needs. That may involve activism, but reacting to your needs according to your values may mean buying from local farmers, even if it costs a bit more. If you can, grow your own. But don’t hide in a shell. Politicians may be poor managers, but they can enact policies that require a response, or a purposeful lack of one.

One major change seems to be happening in the investment world. (See. I told you I’d get around to finance.) Mega-corps are likely to continue to climb. At least in the near term, irrational ideologies may create irrational exuberance in certain companies and industries. Taking advantage of where supposedly serious people are being silly with their money can be profitable. I don’t have to indulge in their products to benefit from buying the company’s stock. Men are shaving their groins? Really!? Well, it isn’t much sillier than expecting women to wax and shave, and that’s been a big industry for decades. Maybe that’s how far such an industry can grow.

Casablanca
Casablanca keeps coming to mind, the movie, not the place. The thoughts keep coming back to Captain Renault. Bogart may have been the lead. Ingrid Bergman did a marvelous job. But, Renault’s character (expertly acted by Claude Rains) can be a role model for some. He was fictional, of course, but he represented an interesting character. Throughout much of the movie, he is seen as self-centered, an opportunist, the ultimate pragmatist. Close down this gambling establishment and thank you for my winnings. In the end, he is revealed to be someone who did what he could, with what he had, sometimes doing things he didn’t want to do, but eventually enabling a grander goal.

A grander goal.

There are many grand goals to strive for. Pick your own, within reason, of course. I continue to strive to make my life more sustainable, to help my community, and to take advantage of opportunities that happen to arrive. (I’m glad I bought LUNR, as a start.) And, Rick, I know why you did what you did, and saying good bye to Ilsa was the right and noble thing to do, but ouch! What a sacrifice you made. Ah, but it was all for the better…I hope.

PS Want a more mixed perspective? Steve Smolinksy and I have a podcast, IntriguingCreativity.com . The November 2024 episode was not about politics, but the consequences of politics – kinda.