Enjoy the Decline: Accepting and Living with the Death of the United States Paperback – January 7, 2013

Recently finished Aaron Clarey's "Enjoy the Decline." While not advertised as a self help book, I certainly have benefitted from reading this book in terms of; mental health and clarity, understanding complex financial ideas in a simple manner and removing any sense of blame or self pity for the state of our Republic.I have presented plenty of information of the past 8 months on my blog stocktonseeker.wordpress in a sincere desire to help people. I really want people, especially oppressed people, to understand the larger picture or at least understand there IS are larger picture. Clarey's section about brainwashed people who follow their own political ideology against their own, often biological self interest, really said what I have been trying to say for months, in a much more concise and understandable way than I ever could.Why aren't there any black people in national parks? Man, that reminded me of my time teaching. We were on our way to science camp in the Santa Cruz mountains, so naturally, coming east from Stockton, we had to cross through the bay area and even cross over the San Francisco Bay. The day was already special, it had actually snowed a bit on the hills outlying the Bay/Gay area. Some of the kids asked me what that white stuff was. These were 10 and 11 year olds.The even larger shock came when we came across the San Mateo bridge and half the kids stood in amazement at that big swimming pool underneath the bus. Many of these kids had never seen the ocean.Poverty is a mindset, and like all mindsets, it is not the one thing. Money is in fact a very small part of the "mindset of poverty" as it was taught to me in Teacher Training school. Education, relationships, support systems, access to means, (which are easily accessible to anyone willing to read Clarey's book) are all other factors relating to poverty that to not include actual money.Inspired by Clarey's section on minimalism and plunder...You can educate yourself for free at the library.You can make good friends by seeking out good people.You can join a church, or hobby group, or meet up group to build a support system.What keeps people in the mindset of poverty isn't having government help in their lives, it is the mindset that the world is now fair and they are somehow benefitting, which of course as Clarey points out, is delusional. All one has to do is look at Stockton, where plenty of people follow which ever poverty pimp tells them what they want to hear, they march and celebrate, and meanwhile their of neighborhoods are a joke, their families broken and their world view is so narrow that, many of them literally never get out of Stockton.So I am going to enjoy the decline and in doing so, I will promise to not only find the humor, but live a far better life than any of the miserable collectivists in my city and worldwide. I have already been to 43 states, why not make it an even 50? If the Sharks ever go to the Stanley Cup, I will easily be able to knock off number 4 on the bucket list. Thanks Obama!I found a few hand outs where I can get a free solar system, and that is ON top of a subsided energy bill. Combined with my growing hobby of off grid energy, it is very possible to no longer have an energy bill. An extra 2,o00 in energy savings would go to a tune up of my my car, gas for the trip, food, maybe a couple of hotels but if I plan accordingly, I can hit plenty of friends and family along the way, thus saving on lodging and spending time with family and friends.Also, my GF and I, qualify for CALfresh, and her but not I, for food stamps. We already have found ways to eat great and on the cheap, but now with free money, we have virtually no food bill. Lucky for me, she is a Ca Culinary Academy grad and California is allowing food stamps to be used at some farmers markets. It is in its trial phase now, but in SJ county, the program exists! WHOHOO!!So we get to continue to eat gourmet food, but now for free.... food and energy are covered. All that is left is our time to prep, but, my gf and I genuinely enjoy cooking together (I am imagining the Bill Burr bit where he talks about effeminate men in sweat pants cooking in the kitchen) , so now it is even better because all the suckers are paying for it! I have learned a lot about cooking in recent years from her and I can tell you that it is a really fun and rewarding hobby and if you have the opportunity to talk to a high level chef about cooking, you should do it.A ton of Junior Colleges that have Culinary programs offer very cheap, delicious high quality meals at their cafeteria. That is a great place to learn about food; the chefs are accessible and they are attempting to demonstrate mastery, so ask them questions. Ask ask ask. You'll spend 6 to 8 bucks for a delicious gourmet meal and get to ask a Culinary student all the questions you want. Check out the colleges in your area.This book has been a breath of fresh air. Read it twice in one sitting and would highly recommend this book to anyone. Anyone. It would probably be most useful for 18-20 year olds, but as a 29 year old former California Babysitter opps teacher, turned disillusioned neighborhood nut job, I can honestly say this book has changed my life.One last sales pitch...7.99 on Kindle....read it....looked up some stuff....read it again....looked into some things more....and in the span of about 12 hours, I have been able to turn my 7.99 investment into thousands of dollars.

As A person over 40 years of age I found it interesting that I already do some of the things the author recommends (being a minimalist, using coupons, fixing things myself, staying single, no kids by choice, using public transportation most of the time). He is correct in telling young people not to spend a ton of dough on a degree that will be useless, people going to college have to realize that the days of going to college and getting ANY degree and getting a great paying job are over, you have to specialize in what your major is. If you have to follow your heart, then do a double major or make what your study is that is not a in demand job your minor along with a realistic major. His advice in going to a community college and learning how to fix a car, be a plumber or electrician are examples of jobs where there will always be a need is right on. Remember when you do get a job, your helping in supporting a segment of society that is needy. I personally know a couple of people who laugh at me working my job while they are collecting welfare and joking that I am paying for it. So his advice on doing all you can to avoid a dead-end job that you hate and pays low is wise indeed. And this is true also, no one takes you seriously in the business world unless you are 30-35, that was definitely true in my case. I know a lot of people over 40 who read the book will disagree with some of the author's viewpoints, (possible denial to reality of what is going on at this moment in this country) however if I was under the age of 35, I would pay attention very seriously because there is so much good realistic advice in this book. Even though the United States is in decline (people having no shame, uninformed voters, more prejudice than ever, lower moral standards, less responsiblity, too much dependence on government, too many children born to single mothers who get no support from the father, televison on 24 hours a day with crappy programming, etc) you can still make your life enjoyable and productive. And travel as much as you can, especially while you are young, don't wait until it is too late.

Overall Clarey gets what is going on in the US and how the changes impact males. This is a good read in combination with Helen Smith's Men on Strike. A white man an still grab the golden ring especially if he comes from an affluent background, goes to the right schools, has the right connections and has the insight/luck to marry the right woman. However, increasingly the odds are stacked against him because a white, male heterosexual is increasingly being viewed as the enemy who is the cause of everyone's problems. Add in how robots are projected to take away at least half of all jobs and things are not going to look better for white males anytime soon.At the very least,A: it is good for men to read this book and realize that the odds really are stacked against you. There is no glory in being a good provider like there was in the 50's because all heterosexual men are viewed as a potential molester and rapist and, if white, definitely a racist. There is more glory in being a transexual.B: be very cautious about entering the corporate world and government work where you are expendable and the one who is guilty until proven innocent. It will be increasingly difficult to get promoted and much easier to be the one laid off due to the religion of diversity.C: be extra cautious before marrying that special flower you love. She may be the right one but if she doesn't approach a relationship with a win/win outlook and isn't intrinsically a fair person, you could be in for a world of hurt.