There are some weeks where it feels like years happen all at once, and then there are years where it feels like nothing happens. Sometimes, both happen concurrently.
That’s how it’s been for me since I last published.
Shatterpoints Geopolitics started off, and remains, a passion project. In late 2020, COVID was still raging, the U.S. had a contentious election, and I was still sifting through the turmoil of a recently ended toxic relationship. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore, but I knew one thing: I was a good writer and I had a lot of thoughts about geopolitics and the future of U.S. politics. And so things began.
Things started off strong for few years as is evidenced by my publishing history, but things shifted in late 2023 when I moved to DC for a new job. Life became more stressful and more isolating. That passion for writing dried up. I was starting to get back into the swing of things in late 2024 after I moved back to Florida, but a series of disappointing events in my professional life put me on the backfoot and persisted until late this summer. It’s easy to lose that passion for writing when every attempt to progress professionally feels like stepping on a rake.
So, what changed? Why am I back?
Truth is, things on my end are still a bit of a mess, but history can sometimes repeat itself as I ironically find myself back in the same place mentally and emotionally as six years ago. The circumstances may certainly be different, but when a man’s gone through the ringer, he knows what signs to look for when the black dog rears its ugly head.
Writing is form of therapy for me. In the midst of the chaos and the noise, there’s a still small voice that emerges. The struggles and pains of daily existence cease to exist and there are only possibilities. I feel the vitality rushing back once again as I confront the major issues that face not just Americans, but all of humanity.
So what’s the plan?
That’s the thing, there isn’t one. I’ve got a better idea of where I want to take things with Shatterpoints, but my undiagnosed ADHD makes committing to any singular plan feeling like enslavement. I just do things and see what happens.
Is this a geopolitics article or just a cringe blog post?
The answer is yes. Because it’s been so long, I owe those faithfully subscribed an explanation for my absence. That being said, there is absolutely a geopolitics element to this.
The trends identified throughout Shatterpoints Geopolitics are accelerating. The Liberal International Order, Globalization, the Pax Americana, whatever nomenclature you wish to call the Status Quo, is fundamentally breaking down before our eyes. Let’s run through some of the key events of the past 18 months.
The U.S. is stuck in a Middle Eastern quagmire. Again.
The gringo is returning to Latin America.
Gold and silver skyrocketed in value.
The South Korean stock lost around 30% of its value in two months.
The US Federal Reserve intervened to stabilize the collapsing value of the Japanese Yen.
The U.S. is running out of critical weapon systems.
Recent graduates in computer science are more likely to be unemployed than art history majors.
The list goes on and on. Point is, and forgive the vulgarity, things are more screwed than a sorority girl at a frat homecoming party. And not in the fun way. There ain’t nobody having a good time these days.
Go converse with any Millennial or Zoomer about their main concerns then go talk to a GenXer or a Boomer. The opinions are worlds apart. It’s as if these generations inhabit different planets entirely. While one generation is getting their news from TikTok or IG reels, the other is glued CNN or Fox. There are no shared spaces anymore, and American politics reflects it. The reckoning cometh.
Years ago, I wrote about this idea of the reckoning. It’s not a moment nor a series of moments, it’s the spirit of the age. It’s a time where every major institution in existence, from politics to business to finance to law to religion to even the family is being challenged as illegitimate. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.
Mene: “God has numbered the days of the king’s kingdom and brought it to an end.”
Tekel: “The king has been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”
Upharsin: “The kingdom is divided and given to another.”
This is precisely the situation with the Status Quo. It cannot hold. Despite the cries and lamentations of globalist elites, devoted cosmopolitans, and coddled Boomers, we are witnessing the end of an era and things that were once unthinkable are now not just possible, but often times likely.
This is why Shatterpoints Geopolitics exists. It’s one man’s attempt at making sense of a world in flux and identifying the likely directions we’re going next, whether we like that direction or not. There are moves on the chessboard that are yet to play out, and, by understanding and identifying the self-interests at play, it’s possible to predict the next moves before they unfold.
So, buckle up, get yourselves a refreshing beverage, and embrace the chaos, cause this party’s just getting started.
Good to see you back