Dynastic Cycles
January 26th, 2026
What institutions make narrative manipulation expensive?
I suppose a state controlled media would do so. Singapore or CCP style. Right now America media is so easy to twist and turn, articles can be bought so easily, Chinese and Russian bots infilltrate all American social media and pit them against each other.
It's such a silly game. I cannot sit here and watch and read the narratives these media bodies are giving out, but it's the tradeoff we make. I don't trust Reddit or Twitter or any news media, all this nonsensical things are poisoned with foreign hands in the mix who don't have my best interests in mind.
I suppose a regulated media could do so, I do think there should be bodies that regulate information consumption, but it gets dangerous as narrative gets controlled and coerced that truth cannot come out. The real benefit of a free press is the ability to keep our leaders accountable.
But if you have leaders that care about me and you, then there's no reason to keep them accountable. Singapore LKY style because there was a national identity. Nationalism keeps people accountable.
But the fact is, that many people don't feel nationalistic or care for the country, they would leave if they had a chance. I for one don't feel particular about fighting in a military.
It's a tradeoff, as with everything. China is in it's state of a philosopher king, we'll see how that plays out. As long as they can keep generating philosopher kings and maintain the state they will see an era of prosperity—but as with all things it seems, a la ROTK, these things are cyclic.
Even America, with such a clever strategy of government, seems to have fallen victim to the same corruption and impoverishment and divide and united cycle that all lands have experienced at one point or another. To find something that works forevermore, I don't know.
The mandate of heaven, can it generate philosopher kings at a rate unprecedented? There are a lot of wrong things in this world I suppose.
My Political Views
My political views are whatever the opposite of yours are! Just kidding. But as I get older, I realize that the best thing to do for most is just to nod and agree.
We celebrate the fighters and the lovers, but for what? I realize that the people beside me are more important than some oligarchy in gold thrones.
I mean, we will all act in self-interest depending on the systems we are in, but if our self-interests are aligned with the people (voting constituents) that's how the best systems operate.
But the fact is that it's not, it's aligned with lobbyists. The only way you can get people in positions of power like that to vote with a moral shred is to elect philosopher-kings.