“You Are The Cavalry” – Pandemics In Our “Brittle, Phony” Economies

Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

And it was in the midst of shouts rolling against the terrace wall in massive waves that waxed in volume and duration, while cataracts of colored fire fell thicker through the darkness, that Dr. Rieux resolved to compile this chronicle, so that he should not be one of those who hold their peace but should bear witness in favor of those plague-stricken people; so that some memorial of the injustice ad outrage done them might endure; and to state quite simply what we learn in times of pestilence: that there are more things to admire in men than to despise.

– Albert Camus, The Plague

It’s likely the past few weeks have been some of the most surreal you’ve ever experienced; I know it’s been the case for me. The largest cities in the U.S. are essentially on lockdown, the stock market is in free fall and grocery stores are being stripped bare. It feels like a very dark moment, but in such darkness I see the light of a new beginning. A new beginning that starts with each and every one of us.

One of the things that helped me navigate the last couple of months in a state of relative calm is a longstanding understanding that something of this sort was inevitable. Not a pandemic necessarily, but something was bound to come along and slam us unexpectedly, and that when it did, the impact would be shockingly disruptive given how completely brittle and phony our economies and societies have become.

It’s this deep-seated recognition that the world paradigm we reside in isn’t long for the ages which allowed me to stay focused and relatively unemotional as this pandemic unfolded. I’m also extremely lucky to have a wife who showed tremendous resolve and decisiveness by immediately taking preparations for our family all the way back in January, before even I was ready to act in a meaningful way. While people called what we were doing panicking, it was just thoughtful and reasonable preparation. Preparation that allowed us to remain calm in early March as things started shutting down, and as many found themselves flatfooted and confused.

As a result of our being emotionally robust as things unfolded, we were able to help friends and family in some small, but important ways. In one case, I was able to successfully help nudge a friend into convincing his wife not to fly overseas to a wedding just a few days ago. I was also able to share resources with a friend in Seattle early on, which made him more aware of the severity of the crisis and prompted him to get groceries before the crowds descended. Most importantly, I connected with a close friend who’s a doctor in a hospital in NYC, and was able to get key thoughts and information into his hands well before many people in his profession were taking it seriously. Knowing I was able to make a material difference in certain people’s lives, which they in turn were able to do for others in their own circles, has been a tremendous blessing.

I’m not sharing this to toot my own horn. Regular readers know I rarely discuss my personal life on these pages, but the reason I mention this now is to demonstrate that anyone can do what I did and have a meaningful impact. I didn’t need a blog or a big platform to have important discussions with friends. I was able to calmly take action and reach out to them because we had already prepared and accepted what was likely coming. Anyone can do this.

There’s never been a better opportunity to localize and decentralize than right now.

Start with yourself and your family, make them as robust as possible. Then work on your community and extend outward from there.

Think about who you can touch in a positive way and how. Go.

— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) March 12, 2020

It’s impossible to overstate the impact you can have as an individual in times like these. We’ve all seen the federal government response. From statements like “it’s just the flu,” to Trump signing charts of a short-covering rally in the stock market and the CDC’s inability or unwillingness to test Americans in the early days, this entire episode should prove to you once and for all that the centralized cavalry isn’t coming. You are the cavalry.

You have no leaders.

You must be the leadership you want to see in the world.

— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) March 9, 2020

In Part 3 of this series on localism, I described units of sovereignty starting with the most significant and basic unit: the individual. It’s in such moments of crisis that we’re each provided with a rare window of opportunity to see things a little differently, to alter our perspectives and even our consciousness. The financial crisis a decade ago was the most transformative experience of my life, specifically because it so completely shook me to my core that it changed me at my core. My entire life trajectory was forever altered in a positive way as a result of how I processed that crisis since it pushed me to see the world and my role in it from an entirely different, and far more healthy, point of view. I suspect the current moment in time will do a similar thing for countless others. It will give billions of people the space to question everything, which is precisely what we need to be doing.

What’s happening around us are the birth pangs of a new era being born. It’s gonna be scary because big change usually is, but I’m becoming increasingly confident a much better world awaits on the other side. Transition could take a few years. pic.twitter.com/sEQec1OVpI

— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) March 13, 2020

I know a lot of people are concerned the centralized government will use this crisis as an opportunity to become more authoritarian, and I get that concern. While I think it may seem like that at first, I truly believe the opposite outcome is what will transpire in the medium and longer-term. I think this moment will provide the space to question everything and to reverse course. It won’t come from the top down, it must come from the bottom up, and I think it will. Stay safe, stay focused, and do what you can.

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