No Babysitting

Humans in the general case require babysitting. Otherwise there is a tendency to shit the bed or make a mess of things. You know, get careless in the sandbox, get sand all over everything outside it. Food fights. High School. What a mess.

Now, I could do what Morris Berman does at Dark Ages America. As Jim suggested to me privately, Morris (among others) has a better business model than I do. He's selling himself. Indeed, my "problem" is that I have no business model at all.

At Berman's blog, his readers, who he calls "wafers" (Why America Failed-ers), must follow certain rules (e.g., you can't criticize Morris, you can't post twice within the same day, etc.). And comments are of course moderated by Berman to enforce the rules.

I call that babysitting. 

Ironically, Berman says America failed because from its very beginning it has been a nation of money-grubbing hustlers. In fact, Berman is hustling his books, whereas here at DOTE I am promoting nothing. You either get something from what I write or you don't. You get exactly as much out of it as you bring to it.

It is clear that some DOTE readers bring nothing of value here. But some of those readers comment here anyway because humans always make a mess a things. That's what they do.

And of course if you want to say something, you've got to actually read and think about what I write. It is clear that some of you don't do that, but are also compelled to throw food around anyway. Food fight! High School!

I am not going to adopt the Morris Berman business model. I am not going to babysit. I am not going to moderate comments, or make up rules for you to follow. I am not asking you to worship me and the ground I stand on, as Berman does. You can be critical of me here, but only if you actually have something to offer. I am going to treat you like an adult until you demonstrate otherwise. Sadly, actual adults are rare on Earth.

I am angry right now, I admit it. But not so much at specific people in Flatland, people who comment here to no purpose. I am angry about having to live on this planet. I am angry that I can't write this blog without being dragged through the mud like everybody else in this fucked up thing called the Human Condition.

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