I'm back in Minnesota for the first time in nearly a year. I was trying to explain the experience to my wife. What came to mind are those scenes in a movie when a grown man returns to an oppressive, abusive orphanage he was raised in. You now realize it sucks but it also feels like home because it helped make you. Too much has been revealed, and it taints all the good. I heard the crow of a pheasant for the first time in a long time and didn't realize I had missed it. It sounds like home. But you can't actually go home again.
I used to run around Seattle in the late night/early morning hours and felt perfectly safe.
Now I feel about the place the way you are describing. Right before I left in '15, I witnessed a running gang fight along 3rd and Pike where the kids were literally trying to throw each other, even girls, under busses and traffic. It was brutal and it has probably only gotten worse since 2020.
Pity. Like Minneapolis, it used to be a center of alternative culture. Now that shit's all gone and I'm feeling really old, what with just wanting a place to garden, raise chickens and listen to my obscure music in peace.
When I first lived in Minneapolis it had a kind of quaint jealousy of Portland OR, rather aspiring to be like Portland. That was mostly about being hipster cool. Minneapolis, contrary to myth, was the real birth of the food co-op movement. See the fascinating PBS doc, an early lesson in the perversity of Marxists.
These days it is more like a competition to embrace the lowest possible denominator. The only reason their vagrancy isn’t worse than the West coast is the winters. As to progressive descent into abject disfunction and celebrating all that is most pathological, Tim Walz is beloved there.
Good one, Mr. Duncan. I cannot identity with any cult. The individual must be free to think for himself. And he must be able to reject all false gods...and that includes everything man invents.
Thank you. Yes, the secular gods are all more like demons, it seems to me. Progress of liberals is like Moloch. Sacrificing children like the empires of old.
I have a huge amount of consternation about what is going on. Your description of this as a Death Cult, is so right on. People say, "it can't be a cult because it has no charismatic leader", but that has never really stopped cults before, in fact, there is a possibility that AI (and by extension, the 'progressive' technology trend bending toward transhumanism) could be considered that ultimate Big Brother/Pied Piper that people will look to as leader- or maybe even 'god', as posited by Rob Ager of 'Collative Learning': https://youtu.be/h3pEpL4JZnc .
I can only be glad that I still have the non perishable stuff I hoarded during covid and now live further from the major highway than I used to. However, all I want is for all of us to live the best lives we can in a natural span. I'm keeping that foremost in my mind. I didn't really want to wind up in a world that was a shite mash up of the most disturbing visions of Ellison and Dick, but here we go. I just hope things hold together until my lease is up and I can move somewhere where you have to really want to go to be there, like Alaska, or North Dakota, LOL.
Thank you. I am less consternated for myself than my family. I’ve structured my life, I’ll be fine whatever happens.
Most people think of cults like Jim Jones’ or the Heaven’s Gate folk. But a cult can be in the macro, society wide, with a great many charismatic leaders, not a few here on Substack, my paeticular favorite, John Pavlovitz, literally telling people to cut anyone not sufficiently dedicated to the cult out of their life.
After my parents are gone, I might be retiring to some very remote place too.
I tell people, I am not going to regret this time with my parents. As to the venue, I'm torn. If I find the money for that, I won't have the time to take care of my parents.
That last paragraph! I too wish for the peace and quiet that still exists in some parts of America to last, for my parents, myself, family, friends, and the community who wish for same.
Such a great installment. Nothing the “left” does (communists by any other name) is by mistake and nothing is truly left to chance.
Demoralization of the populace, breakdown of society, brainwashing at every turn and venue possible, costs rising into nose bleed heights, etc, etc…when the left wins again, maybe at the midterms or the next presidential election (should we all live that long) I believe they will throttle all the way down on all forms of dissenters which will bring about civil war.
Never imagined we’d be where we are today. But, all great societies fail as history proves.
I live in the Twin Cities. In 2020, I lived close enough to the fires on University Avenue to see and smell the smoke. Entire economic zones were cleared from those two cities and have not returned. And all city leaders are doing about it is "trying to communism harder." Sadly, it is the peoples', not city officials', fault. This is what happens everytime communist are elected.
St Paul in 2022 elected an all Marxist, minority female, under forty city council. I figured they would make a name for themselves as a definition of crazy. But they have not ruined the city as precipitously as I thought they would. Minneapolis gets all the press for that. They are hell bent on ruining the city and county.
This hits so close to home for me. I miss my home state of Mn, and I have been adapting to Tx, where the weather is hot or hotter. I wonder if letting LA go up in smoke like Mpls would not feel like justice, and be a reality check to many. Especially after reading my LA nieces anti-ICE posting on Instagram. But she can’t help it. She’s an uber wealthy red diaper baby with no comprehension of how this 3rd world invasion is effecting the rest of her family and other Americans who have to work for a living. Yes, I pray to God out of total desperation, to protect us from this evil communist cult that is destroying our Western Civilization. Our families are divided, possibly forever.
I see some old liberal friends on social media and I am sad for the day when they were not so clearly damaged by TDS. I have seen them scream about the cult of Trump, but I have never met anyone MAGA friendly who was anything ike as Trump obsessed as most of the liberals I have known.
As to Minnesota, there is some suggestion that Minnesotans are getting increasingly tired of Tim Walz, even as he is talking about a third term. Like so many liberal states too, it is only liberal because there are more people in the city and burbs than outstate. My county went like 80% for Trump. But I am wary, the Twin Cities continues to trend marxist anarcho-tyranny.
William, I would still like it if someone in Minnesota were to ask where those young middle school buys are planning to use those Tampons. Hence, Tampon Time!
So, you're just as ideologically impaired by your biases and bigotry as the next person, and as congenitally unable or unwilling to admit it in any meaningful way--to anyone, including yourself. The problem is of course "over there", with "those people".
Sayonara, Bill, you common smartass, you're unworthy of my attention.
I'm back in Minnesota for the first time in nearly a year. I was trying to explain the experience to my wife. What came to mind are those scenes in a movie when a grown man returns to an oppressive, abusive orphanage he was raised in. You now realize it sucks but it also feels like home because it helped make you. Too much has been revealed, and it taints all the good. I heard the crow of a pheasant for the first time in a long time and didn't realize I had missed it. It sounds like home. But you can't actually go home again.
Going back to Minneapolis feels a bit like driving into a “mostly stable” third world country. I don’t expect violence but I’m on edge.
I used to run around Seattle in the late night/early morning hours and felt perfectly safe.
Now I feel about the place the way you are describing. Right before I left in '15, I witnessed a running gang fight along 3rd and Pike where the kids were literally trying to throw each other, even girls, under busses and traffic. It was brutal and it has probably only gotten worse since 2020.
Pity. Like Minneapolis, it used to be a center of alternative culture. Now that shit's all gone and I'm feeling really old, what with just wanting a place to garden, raise chickens and listen to my obscure music in peace.
When I first lived in Minneapolis it had a kind of quaint jealousy of Portland OR, rather aspiring to be like Portland. That was mostly about being hipster cool. Minneapolis, contrary to myth, was the real birth of the food co-op movement. See the fascinating PBS doc, an early lesson in the perversity of Marxists.
These days it is more like a competition to embrace the lowest possible denominator. The only reason their vagrancy isn’t worse than the West coast is the winters. As to progressive descent into abject disfunction and celebrating all that is most pathological, Tim Walz is beloved there.
The left seems to turn everything they touch into poop....Here's another one they are trying and the people of NYC seem to be buying it!
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
Good one, Mr. Duncan. I cannot identity with any cult. The individual must be free to think for himself. And he must be able to reject all false gods...and that includes everything man invents.
Thank you. Yes, the secular gods are all more like demons, it seems to me. Progress of liberals is like Moloch. Sacrificing children like the empires of old.
Imperative, to be free to think for yourself.
Great essay!
I have a huge amount of consternation about what is going on. Your description of this as a Death Cult, is so right on. People say, "it can't be a cult because it has no charismatic leader", but that has never really stopped cults before, in fact, there is a possibility that AI (and by extension, the 'progressive' technology trend bending toward transhumanism) could be considered that ultimate Big Brother/Pied Piper that people will look to as leader- or maybe even 'god', as posited by Rob Ager of 'Collative Learning': https://youtu.be/h3pEpL4JZnc .
I can only be glad that I still have the non perishable stuff I hoarded during covid and now live further from the major highway than I used to. However, all I want is for all of us to live the best lives we can in a natural span. I'm keeping that foremost in my mind. I didn't really want to wind up in a world that was a shite mash up of the most disturbing visions of Ellison and Dick, but here we go. I just hope things hold together until my lease is up and I can move somewhere where you have to really want to go to be there, like Alaska, or North Dakota, LOL.
Thank you. I am less consternated for myself than my family. I’ve structured my life, I’ll be fine whatever happens.
Most people think of cults like Jim Jones’ or the Heaven’s Gate folk. But a cult can be in the macro, society wide, with a great many charismatic leaders, not a few here on Substack, my paeticular favorite, John Pavlovitz, literally telling people to cut anyone not sufficiently dedicated to the cult out of their life.
After my parents are gone, I might be retiring to some very remote place too.
I miss my parents everyday, but I am glad they are not here to see this. I admit there is a kind of freedom in that.
Good luck with everything, I'm still pulling for you to get that music/food, etc venue together. As an old chef, that sounds like fun.
I tell people, I am not going to regret this time with my parents. As to the venue, I'm torn. If I find the money for that, I won't have the time to take care of my parents.
Your parents probably wouldn't want to see this either!
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
That last paragraph! I too wish for the peace and quiet that still exists in some parts of America to last, for my parents, myself, family, friends, and the community who wish for same.
It seems to me that it's getting harder and harder to keep the stupid people away from power!
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
Such a great installment. Nothing the “left” does (communists by any other name) is by mistake and nothing is truly left to chance.
Demoralization of the populace, breakdown of society, brainwashing at every turn and venue possible, costs rising into nose bleed heights, etc, etc…when the left wins again, maybe at the midterms or the next presidential election (should we all live that long) I believe they will throttle all the way down on all forms of dissenters which will bring about civil war.
Never imagined we’d be where we are today. But, all great societies fail as history proves.
Seems to me that happens because hear an "idea" that might sound interesting, but don't think it through - Here's a great example!
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
I live in the Twin Cities. In 2020, I lived close enough to the fires on University Avenue to see and smell the smoke. Entire economic zones were cleared from those two cities and have not returned. And all city leaders are doing about it is "trying to communism harder." Sadly, it is the peoples', not city officials', fault. This is what happens everytime communist are elected.
St Paul in 2022 elected an all Marxist, minority female, under forty city council. I figured they would make a name for themselves as a definition of crazy. But they have not ruined the city as precipitously as I thought they would. Minneapolis gets all the press for that. They are hell bent on ruining the city and county.
I like to remember what Forest Gump said: Stupid is as stupid does!
Try this one on for size...
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
This hits so close to home for me. I miss my home state of Mn, and I have been adapting to Tx, where the weather is hot or hotter. I wonder if letting LA go up in smoke like Mpls would not feel like justice, and be a reality check to many. Especially after reading my LA nieces anti-ICE posting on Instagram. But she can’t help it. She’s an uber wealthy red diaper baby with no comprehension of how this 3rd world invasion is effecting the rest of her family and other Americans who have to work for a living. Yes, I pray to God out of total desperation, to protect us from this evil communist cult that is destroying our Western Civilization. Our families are divided, possibly forever.
I see some old liberal friends on social media and I am sad for the day when they were not so clearly damaged by TDS. I have seen them scream about the cult of Trump, but I have never met anyone MAGA friendly who was anything ike as Trump obsessed as most of the liberals I have known.
As to Minnesota, there is some suggestion that Minnesotans are getting increasingly tired of Tim Walz, even as he is talking about a third term. Like so many liberal states too, it is only liberal because there are more people in the city and burbs than outstate. My county went like 80% for Trump. But I am wary, the Twin Cities continues to trend marxist anarcho-tyranny.
William, I would still like it if someone in Minnesota were to ask where those young middle school buys are planning to use those Tampons. Hence, Tampon Time!
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
My dad who was a WW2 veteran, sadly predicted this back in the early 70s. He couldn't really say why, but he was surely right on!
Speaking of Red diaper babies, how about this one?
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time
So, you're just as ideologically impaired by your biases and bigotry as the next person, and as congenitally unable or unwilling to admit it in any meaningful way--to anyone, including yourself. The problem is of course "over there", with "those people".
Sayonara, Bill, you common smartass, you're unworthy of my attention.
Goid bye
Thank you for writing this piece...
Here's just another example of the Left "turning everything they touch to shit."
https://hiddentruthsbysunny.substack.com/p/you-watched-a-city-fail-in-real-time