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Where Have All The Zero Hedge Veterans Gone, Long Time Passing?
Where Have All The Zero Hedge Veterans Gone, Long Time Passing?
By
Cognitive Dissonance
Imagine if you will for just a few moments that we reside within a small town in America or Europe or anywhere else in the world for that matter. The physical location isn’t important because we’re talking about a virtual world. Our community consists of several thousand residents of mixed race, creed and color and we are united mostly by our desire to hear and speak truth in a world nearly devoid of it. Many of us have been looking for exactly this type of safe haven for a very long time and can scarcely believe our eyes when we first stumble in from the wasteland.
In so many ways our little town is our cherished refuge from a world gone mad with corrupt central governments bent on exploitation and self destruction. Rarely does a day go by when we don’t leave our cozy homes to visit the town square and discuss the founder’s latest observations as well as the day’s news and events. Often we speculate on what’s coming round the bend and even catch up with a few old friends now and then. Home is where the heart is and for many of us home is Zero Hedge.
Most of our fellow residents are known to us by sight and nickname, but only a few do we know well enough that we would expose ourselves on a personal level and engage in a lengthy and sometimes deeply heartfelt conversation. Conversations I might add that are normally reserved only for those we truly trust in the “real” world. And yet amazingly these discussions are conducted out in the open and in full view of the world, virtual or otherwise.
But aside from these few friends the rest of the inhabitants living in our community are considered casual acquaintances or workplace friends, someone we know well enough to discuss local and national politics or even economics, but not much else. That doesn’t mean we don’t love our town and our neighbors because deep down we all share a special bond. We are all on the vanguard of truth speaking and for many of us this is a novel experience. On the surface we are very secretive yet surprisingly quite open. Zero Hedge is uniquely different by design.
Of course, there’s a very good reason why our community is constructed in this unusual manner. A shield of invisibility separates you and me from everyone else, a barricade of anonymity that was intentionally erected to provide a sense of safety and security for all, mainly because our community is surrounded by hostile and often unseen forces. The anonymity was and is designed to shield everyone in such a way as to enable frank and open conversations that would otherwise be stifled if conducted out in the open and among the antagonistic. And for the most part the community’s design has been a rousing success, particularly for the founder Tyler Durden and the rest of the fight club core who regularly use the town square as a bully pulpit to speak truth to power. The group’s anonymity forces those who would attack Tyler in order to restrain or bury free speech by way of ad hominem smears and personality bashing to either ignore Tyler’s message or confront it using verifiable facts and logical argument. In general the community has grown rapidly as both veterans, who were here when the first cornerstones were laid, and later arrivals cheer on the daily disclosures and running commentary. Speaking truth to power has never been so satisfying while still tinged with some inner fear. In some ways Zero Hedge has become our confidant, our mentor, our analyst and our sanity. Personally I consider it my own Radio Free Zero Hedge, a beacon shining bright during these increasingly dark nights. But some of our veterans have been stealing off into the night with barely a whispered farewell or even a quick explanation for their disappearance. Unfortunately this is where the community’s anonymity works against us. Other than the few occasions where residents have willingly dropped their masks and now conduct private conversations outside the confines of the community, there is very little discourse among the residents other than what is conducted within the town square. Thus there is no effective way of discovering where all our missing veterans have gone.
So in some respects our town is missing a part of its heart and soul, that intangible something that brings together divergent parts to create a living breathing community. While Tyler Durden is without question the voice and creator of Zero Hedge the activist and truth speaker, we the residents know remarkably little about our own community. Our town recently celebrated its two year anniversary and while there was much to cheer, I for one have been feeling for some time that something important is missing.
While every blog has its own personality and feel, over the course of time the readers generally get to know quite a bit about the blogs founder through editorials and conversation. The creator’s initially thin voice is slowly filled in with deeper tones and tenor and the body is fleshed out with substance and color. The voice becomes a personality, then for some it becomes a friend.
While Tyler renders an opinion within the text of nearly every one of his postings, his opinion is nearly always limited to the subject matter at hand and rarely do we get to glimpse even a snippet of Tyler the person. Most likely this is done because he wishes to remain totally anonymous and considering the explosive nature of some of his disclosures, I can’t say I blame him one iota. But this does leave a vacuum of sorts within the fabric of the community and so the herd will naturally seek its own substitute.
In contrarian communities such as ours where we’re all bucking the trend and swimming against the tide, there is often great emotion bubbling just beneath the surface. Our town isn’t just a financial blog; it’s a calling, a movement, an event, the place to go where contrarian views aren’t the exception but the norm. While Zero Hedge started out as an obscure hangout for financial nerds and wonks it quickly morphed into a place of inspiration and refuge. Along the way some of the residents have developed small followings or even minor cults, becoming community leaders plucked from the crowd by natural selection.
While some of these personalities are relatively new, several have been with Zero Hedge since the beginning. And many are now gone, missing in action, A.W.O.L. I don’t wish to imply that there’s skullduggery or grand mystery behind the disappearance of our veterans. After careful thought I think it’s something simpler, reasons that revolve around what Zero Hedge was and what it has now become. And ultimately something else that is well beyond the control or influence of this blog and which is beginning to spread within the general population.
While I’m in occasional email contact with two of the missing veterans, for the most part I have no direct knowledge of the reasons for their absence, only my supposition and gut instinct. Of the two I talk to on occasion, their reasons for leaving are obviously deeply personal and I won’t pry. But after recently flirting with the idea of leaving Zero Hedge myself, I believe I may have some insight into why some leave and come back while others leave and never look back. Let me try to explain what I think is happening.
At times it appears as if Zero Hedge resides within a time warp or rift. Tyler and company produce such a blinding stream of posts that often it’s difficult to remember what was discussed yesterday let along last week, month or year. Because of this linear rush of time, rarely do we sit back and consider what Zero Hedge was, only what it is now. This is one of the missing pieces I mentioned earlier, the critical element of perspective and history from the residents point of view that’s not part of the mix.
All communities have a sense of history and continuity which acts as a binding agent, tying the past to the present and which the residents take with them as they walk into the future. This is done with a combination of books, oral histories, community days and events, impromptu gatherings of friends over beers and so on. During times of community stress, it is this history as a group that is relied upon to sooth rattled nerves and smooth out life’s bumps and bruises.
While there is most certainly a singleness of purpose and deed within Zero Hedge, it is primarily Tyler’s show along with the occasional penetrating contributor. For the community at large, we are mostly spectators and hanger-on’s with varied opinions and sharpened elbows. While many are satisfied with the Rugby style discourse, I sense in others a desire for a deeper connection, a more intimate and friendly environment, reminiscent of the old Zero Hedge town square when the veterans ruled the roost.
Many of our lost veterans provided breadth and depth to our conversations as well as a big picture perspective when shouting, hysteria or trolls threatened to overwhelm. While each had his or her unique idiosyncrasies and ideology, nearly all had a strong sense of ownership and protective custody. How many times did we hear a veteran declare “Don’t mess with Zero Hedge because if you do you’re messing with me”? Newbie’s that wandered in from the cold and immediately started whipping their shtick around were quickly slapped side the head and sent to the back of the bus for remedial education.
Like that strong willed but kind uncle who visited during the holidays and whose presence moved the room, our veterans were an important part of the internal control mechanism that all unorganized groups develop as a matter of instinct and survival. Natural leaders emerge and are respected not just for their inherent authority, but because of their common sense approach and fairness even to those they oppose. Thus form and function develops out of chaos and the community coalesces. What was once random noise and movement becomes coherent and comprehensible.
While Tyler has always been the booming voice of Zeus bellowing from atop the Zero Hedge mount, Tyler for the most part is content to let his postings, opinions and biting tongue find their mark. But back when the veterans roamed the land there was another strong presence that is now sadly missing as well. Marla Singer was our Athena or Themis, the community’s Goddess of order, civility and decorum. At your own peril did you mess with Mother Nature for with the flick of her sharp tongue serial transgressors were quickly removed from The Hedge.
Marla wasn’t malevolent, vindictive or even egotistic, thought it was obvious we were dealing with an opinionated intellect that could swallow most of us whole in one single bite. What contributed to her presence and gave her natural authority was her capacity to be playful, self deprecating and wonderfully witty. Her late nights spinning tunes on Radio Zero or her presence in chat did more than anything else to build our budding community identity. None the less, after ample warnings and prods from her big stick, she didn’t suffer fools well and many repeat troublemakers were quickly kicked.
This was a stabilizing force that was the implicit bite behind the veterans bark and thus our small community continued to grow with vigor in part because the roads were swept clean at night. This doesn’t mean Zero Hedge stifled creative thought or energetic disagreement. On the contrary, because the residents knew that well reasoned and logical arguments would be fairly aired while disruptors and airheads would be muffled, Zero Hedge quickly became known as the place to come for thoughtful discourse and stimulating against-the-grain ideas.
We sometimes forget how radical Zero Hedge was perceived as being back in the day. Early on in its development concepts such as manipulated precious metal markets, stealth Fed pumping or the Plunge Protection Team, all factual reality that had been tirelessly trumpeted for years by a small cadre of truth speakers, were laughed at outside the contrarian community as the ranting of the delusional.
Then Zero Hedge and other dedicated blogs and alternative media sites joined together in singing the song, adding their considerable weight and influence to these issues and pushing them to the front of the news cycle. What was formerly verboten is now accepted even by the mainstream media as a given and an integral part of the overall black matrix.
So where have all the veterans gone, long time passing? Why would they leave when we’re beginning to lever open some locked doors and we’re breaking through the wall of lies? The most obvious reason is that the community has changed and, at least in the eyes of some of the veterans who have left, for the worse. There is little doubt that change has occurred though much of it is a function of growth and popularity and thus just a fact of life. If you’re selling something that’s in demand, in this case financial and political truth, you’re going to suffer growing pains as you scale up to fill the vacuum.
But the civility and camaraderie, the sense of ownership and protective custody that I talked about earlier, is now missing or at least greatly diminished. While Tyler specially and Zero Hedge in general have always told us that they have no obligation to moderate the comment section, the presence of Marla in the early days acted as a de facto moderator creating an artificial environment that as it turned out wasn’t sustained. As Marla slowly withdrew from active participation, civility and order withdrew as well to the point where today obvious and self described trolls and disruptors have taken up permanent residence within what was formerly considered safe territory.
However I don’t think this alone was enough to disenfranchise all the missing veterans though I sure it was for some. There appears to be another more important and seldom discussed dynamic at play here that works hand in hand with the community changes and which the blog is not responsible for in the least. What is rarely discussed within the contrarian community in general and among the truth speakers in particular is a concept or phenomenon that I call truth speaker’s fatigue.
Similar to disaster charitable giving fatigue, truth speakers fatigue is at its core about lost hope and belief. The person afflicted often feels that after investing considerable emotional and intellectual capital, little or no headway has been made and the methods used appear to be useless. Since the initial effort was driven almost exclusively by emotional adrenaline and with little thought to specific strategy and measurable outcomes, it is easy to lose momentum after several perceived defeats, emphasis on perceived.
As I said earlier, many of us have been wandering the wilderness for years recognizing something was terribly wrong, but not knowing specifically what was wrong let alone how to deal with it. Suddenly we find Zero Hedge and are infused with a sense of hope and belief. We come to believe that because we are surrounded by like minded individuals and are stronger as a group we might finally be effective and become a force to be reckoned with. Maybe, just maybe we can really make a difference and slow down or even stop the insanity.
Becoming involved with speaking truth openly and repeatedly, particularly if it’s our first time, can be a powerful and intoxicating elixir which often leads to flights of unrealistic expectations and unreasonable goals. I speak as one of experience, having drunk heavily from the cup on a few occasions. One is infused with a sense of power and destiny after seeing that many of man’s problems can easily be rectified by clear thinking, honesty and awareness. What we fail to fully grasp early on is that we come by this knowledge via desperation and a sincere desire to stop our own internal pain and suffering.
While our intent is genuine and heartfelt, over time and after repeated disappointments that our disclosers are making little headway, we slowly come to the realization that not only are there many powerful forces trying to bury the truth, but that those who would most directly benefit from the truth, our fellow sufferers, are among the most difficult to shake awake. This is the cut that is the deepest of them all, the ugly realization that they simply aren’t ready to sever the ties that bind themselves to their own misery.
This understanding is similar to waking one day and realizing deep within your soul that you married the person next to you for all the wrong reasons and that now it is over and never really was. Or that after many years of climbing the corporate ladder, you suddenly realize no happiness or fulfillment will ever be found where you just spent half your life working. Faced with the realization that little progress has been made in breaking through the never ending lies and finding themselves emotionally spent to boot, I suspect several veterans simply gave up and faded back into the black abyss.
Similar to the turmoil of a midlife crisis, a few may never recover from this devastating loss of faith and will wander aimlessly and without purpose, discarding first their career, then their family and finally themselves. Others try desperately to reinsert themselves back into the Matrix, swallowing again and again every blue pill within reach in a hopeless and ultimately futile quest for the blessed ability to just forget. Still others will sink into abject apathy as a form of emotional self protection.
And then there are those who after much soul searching and anguished debate come to understand that the problem isn’t really out there but rather within. After two or three internal renegotiations and subsequent scaling back of expectations that always lead to additional failure, we come face to face with the second ugly truth, that it is our ego we are wrestling with, that we could not save even ourselves let alone the world.
It was our pain that led us to seek truth and it was our pain we wish removed by spreading the truth. While we expressed the desire to make the world better, it was ultimately for our own benefit that we wished it rebuilt. As with the unloved spouse or unfulfilled career, we were laboring for all the wrong reasons and thus futilely spinning our wheels.
If this shocking revelation can be internalized and then accepted, only then do we begin the next phase of our journey of truth, one where the reason and intent for our action is now squarely aligned with our expectations. We now know that we are here only to work on ourselves. If by chance others happen by and grab onto the life raft we now occupy, this is a wonderful bonus but not by intent or design.
Now properly sized for the next leg of our journey and thoroughly busy digging deeper within, we discover one of the ultimately liberating truths. Whereas before when attempting to spread awareness and awakening, in the eyes of those still sleeping we appeared frightening and threatening. All we really had to offer was the opportunity for them to witness their own pain and suffering without the benefit of a numbing agent or self administered anesthesia, hardly an attractive package even when it is offered for free.
Now that we are engaged in traveling our own path of self centering and discovery, first of ourselves and then our place in the world, involuntarily and unconsciously we begin to exude strength and confidence. Suddenly we become an attractor, an example of what can be. Now we have substance to offer others which leads to greater happiness and inner peace. Since we are no longer forcing anything upon others, but instead we now own and wear what everyone else desires, now we are seen as valuable and attractive. This inner knowing cannot be taught or passed on, only found within and then tried on.
If at this point we choose to pick back up the truth speaking baton we quickly find that we are vastly more effective. While the necessity to overcome the lies is still there, we no longer project a sense of urgency or even desperation that was present before and which the sleep walkers sensed both consciously and unconsciously. Whereas before we were perceived to be a threat to their apathy and feigned indifference now the sleep walker senses our inner calm and stability while hearing the same information as before.
With their internal barrier to what we are saying now softened or even withdrawn, we have a more receptive audience rather than defensive or even hostile. While this alone doesn’t mean they will actually awaken, it does mean the seed has been planted in a more fertile and hospitable environment. Just as you and I needed repeated exposure to the truth before we began to wake from the dream, so will they. But now the process has started and the bridge to awareness is at least in sight.
I don’t know if any of the missing veterans, or anyone else on Zero Hedge for that matter, has left under the circumstances I just described. But firsthand experience working with others in various truth movements, along with conversations with friends who are walking similar paths, tells me that I’m most likely close to the truth with at least a few. If we could question our missing veterans as to why they are no longer around, I suspect each would have specific reasons for their departures. And while on the surface I’m certain all their reasons may be valid, we all tell ourselves stories in order to bury the bitter and unspeakable truth.
Does any of what I have written ring true with you or can you indentify with any part of this essay? I read the comment section of Zero Hedge on a daily basis and from my perspective there are many residents who are walking wounded and who are depressed and in denial about it. I have come to understand that any pain I may be feeling is a loud and clear signal that something’s wrong and that I need to change direction. My pain is not to be avoided but rather respected for what it is, a message that I’m not sized right and that I need to refocus within.
Ultimately we are ineffective in any endeavor we may engage in and we might even be damaging to ourselves and those around us if we are in pain and in denial about our need for treatment. This would be all too obvious if our legs were broken, but for some reason it’s completely lost on us if we are spiritually broken. Ultimately in order to heal it doesn’t matter where you’ve been or where you are now. A wise man once told me that what’s important in life isn’t so much that you’re on the correct path, but rather if deep down inside you there’s a desire to be on the correct path. Once the student is ready, the teacher will always appear. The search for answers always begins within.
Cognitive Dissonance
01-24-2011
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Excellent written thoughts, CD. Sad, but natural, in evolving movements..
I have dialed back my reading due to the shift in tone in the comments (and some of the articles) from fact/liberty oriented to populist-oriented. The increase in conspiracy dialogue isn't of interest to me either. I still visit somewhat frequently due to the quality of the articles and the fact that news you find here is often hard to find elsewhere.
I have dialed back my reading ... Since when? Since 16 weeks ago when you signed up? You clearly know a lot, so if the increase in conspiracy dialogue isn't of interest to you, then I guess we should all down tools and follow your lead. You must be right. There are no conspiracies. In fact, conspiracy is the new dirty word. Plesae don't say it anymore. You can be reported.
increase in conspiracy dialogue isn't of interest
the trolls certainly have a very direct and concerted message today.
Dude! Epically long post. If it weren't so well written, I'd wonder what you were smokin' to induce such a long stream-of-consciousness rant (at least that's what often produced similar results on my part) :)
A short answer, at the risk of sounding God-bothery; everything, including some relationships, has a season, and seasons change. It's part of the dynamic of life. Especially, as you observe, amongst a conclave of mostly anonymous contributors and commentariat. That same quality makes it easy to walk away, or revert to lurking; just as the "all about me!" mindset and notions of subjective truth and situational ethics have made divorce so much more prevalent.
It's a shortcoming of the entire "virtual" dynamic of the internet, and the dualistic complement to the amazing connectivity of the same medium...
My Regards
CD, while some here seem to chafe at the length of your articles, and I find myself at times scanning through paragraphs looking for the next idea, still I must say that your posts usually say something worth considering. So, never mind the naysayers, carry on. Regarding the topic here it seems almost Darwinian that excessive success leads to some level of failure. Anything that overgrows its resources has to have a die off. So it is inevitable that the nucleus of thought that formed ZH might move on to greener pastures. Any old dog will seek relief when surrounded by a mob of yipping puppies. The ratio of reasoned vs. sophomoric content has not changed for the better over time. So I expect the truly skilled simply tire of the noise and move on. To bad as this has been a wonderful site for me. I still read every post every day but more and more I look for certain posters and skip the rest as the volume is prohibitive. If you are in contact with Cheeky Bastard I think there are more than a few of us that would like to hear his opinions again. Thanks for your input.
Damn, I do miss Cheeky Bastard.
So much here hits home. The 20 year feeling in the pit of my gut that something just didn't add up. The rejection by the ones around me who refuse to deal with their own pain. Feeling like the boy who cried wolf, day in and day out... yet actually SEEING the wolf when no-one else will. Worse (worst?) of all: hearing The People justify the happenings around them in order to avoid seeing the walls closing in. The camel's nose isn't the problem any more; the whole THING is in here now, and we are busy trying to explain to ourselves why that is O.K.!
I stay here at ZH. I need it. I take short vacations from it, but always come back, because... I can handle the truth. I need the truth. Screaming at the top of my lungs alone in my head... gets tiring... and this is one place where I find reassurance.
My sons are Boy Scouts, one is an Eagle. Both are O.A. The younger one was "Tapped" for O.A. this last weekend, but we were all informed that it can't be called "Tapped Out" any more. A parent complained that that just sounded too violent. Now they have to call it "Called Out..."
What does the end of this path look like? So tired.
Tomato
I'll second, third, and forth the motion. 100% on the spot.
CD, I started spending time on ZH two years ago. I miss the veterans who shared knowledge freely and gave as good as they got - but still followed "the rules of Fight Club". As Marla and some others have been sidelined along the way, this has become more of a mob action where real world knowledge gets buried under the roar of the ill informed but highly opinionated.
What I learned from the veterans I tried to pass along to those I care about ... but everyone tires of hearing "this does not end well" and "there is no solution to this problem". On the other hand, two years ago what was spoken here was the bleeding edge of market and financial conciousness and, as you corretly note, it has now moved into the mainstream awareness ... and thereby draws less passion for acurate discussion.
I will continue to lurk and rarely comment. There is still value here but I have done the structured analysis I was taught 30 years ago and know to my satisfaction what my mentors forced me to accept is sometimes the only correct answer - "This problem does not allow of a solution on anything from a micro to macro level."
The forecast is continually reinforced by the continued rise in Black Swans that are promptly downplayed, dismissed and spectrally re-categorised by self professed experts on CNBC and other media. Take Ireland's political descent, China's intentional pot stirring, the Middle East's volatility, the insanity fueled temperment of North Korea, the mafia kingdom of the Russian Federation and the overwhelming denial of the western states and this all leads to where any two of these symptoms have ALWAYS led when the parties can't find the solution they WANT and so attempt to MAKE one in the fire of war.
barliman
well said, which is why some 6th grader junked you.
barliman,
It has been killing me ad I have spent more than a couple hours trying to source this quote.. I stole it from someone here and I would love to know whom.. just to say thanks.. I read it, and moved on like anything else then it hit me... one of the finest gifts I have been offered, ever.
forgive my not quoting exactly "there can be no us v. them until we are all them or they are all us?"
moving, for me any way and if it was you Thank You! if not someone take ownership of that quote so I can say thank you.
who says an old dog cant change his mind and / or be educated beyond a blockade?
Thank you for posting a reply. I was hoping some of the veterans would drop in and leave a comment or two. With nearly a year and a half registered on ZH, you mostly certainly are considered a veteran in my eyes.
Thank you again.
Remember, CD, that the content and quality of Tyler and contributors is the main course around here. The comments are just dessert. But I've learned a great deal from these comment boards, too, once I wade through a growing mountain of junk food ( some of it self-generated ). Many links are valuable...at least to me.
I salute all ZH and encourage discrimination in who comes in from the porch.
Many links are valuable.
Agreed.
I'm not sure why all the initial comments tended toward the smug, clever-than-thou, oh-I-thought-was-commenting-on-Salon variety, but in any case, I enjoyed the essay, CD.
The most striking chord for me was the fatigue one feels at trying to wake up people, when for the most part, reactions have ranged from disinterested to openly hostile. Maybe the widely used allusions to the denizens of the Matrix are accurate or maybe people suffer from a sort of Stockholm syndrome, but I think it is generally just that people are way too busy and way too stressed as it is to put much thought to these issues. Not to mention, that when taken as a whole, one can quickly begin to apply apocalyptic adjectives to the situation, and most people have learned through experience that doomsayers are quacks (and who knows, maybe we are).
The market has not helped. Bernanke may be 100% wrong that the wealth effect of a rising stockmarket will have any long-term positive effect on the economy, but certainly in the short-term, it makes those of us on the street corner yelling for passersby to wake up, wake up look like delusional little children crying wolf, wolf. It sucks. And it is a thankless job, because even if you are proven correct, the inevitable psychological reaction will probably be to shoot the messenger.
I've gotten to the point I wonder if I would plug myself back into the Matrix if I could. It is questionable if I am really better prepared for the future by any insights I have gleaned from ZH, and it is certain that I am not any happier. It is bad enough to see all sorts of crimes committed around you, but it is far worse to realize that you as individual seem to be utterly powerless to do anything about it. Worse even to realize that giving voice to the crimes is more likely to elicit rolled eyes than sympathetic outrage.
All that said, I return to ZH every day. It is my oasis. A place to recharge my passion. A place to escape the voice of the ever-present Ministry of Info. A place to learn from some pretty smart people.
It also doesn't hurt that the writing is fucking fantastic.
So now that I've had my moment to bleat on about my woes, the truth is that, if you offered me the blue pill and a filet mignon right now, I would turn away. But I would seriously think about it first.
SpeakerFTD : Very well said. Now, do us a favour, and get yourself a nice picture for your avatar, so we can recognise you easily in future.
Very well put! The messenger of truth, even the reluctant messenger, gets thoroughly smeared by those who don't want to accept the message. The messenger gets to suffer the derision, but gets no accoclades for getting things right. The messenger finds himself assigned to the lunatic fringe, and in the lunatic fringe must stay. It gets very old.
it sucks that the choice is often between popularity and truthfulness
my philosophy is that you can't worry about what others think of you. Most people don't put in enough energy to get to know another person past the point of just figuring out a label to slap on them so that they can move on. Why worry about what somebody thinks of you when they don't care to even understand where you're coming from? I just concentrate on the fact that if they did get to know me, they would probably like some things about me and dislike other things. They would certainly realize that initial judgements that brought them to believe that I am a one dimensional person were uninformed.
Sadly, I've noticed that on ZH, and life in general, there is often almost no effort put into understanding differing points of view [to one's own]. Usually, differences of opinion just lead to attacking the other person. I should say I am just as guilty of this as anyone around here.
Maybe it is time to ease up a bit on the venom. In the end, we are all humans here just trying to make sense of this mysterious life. If we want to, we can think of ourselves as brothers and sisters playing on the same team instead of competitors. We can choose our reaction to incoming information.
It does get old to be constantly ridiculed, especially when it is by those who are close to you and are supposed to have your back. Again though, it all boils down to your choice. Do you value the message or do you value the opinions of those around you?
(Sorry to hijack ya, but I had to go on a tangent here, thx)
I whole heartedly agree.
When I want insight (and frankly more financial info than I can process) I come here.
When I want to rabble rouse I go to Newsvine and mix it up with the street folks.
If there is a core meme here, I would be interested in seeing it articulated. Without that, it's just people and people move on.
If all you have is fear then get used to the turnover because the human mind can only deal with so much of it.
I have read yours and others contributions now going on over a year. I post rarely because of my belief in the revelations shown at this site are beyond my ability to respond.
"Cognitive Dissonance"
That term and your persona has brought me much awareness, not only about the machinations of this site and its writers, but also about our inner drive. Possibly that continuation of staring into the depths of hell without any ability to change it leads us all to a point where it is easier to walk away. Battling Hydra can surely turn one to despair.
However, as much as this site changes, it remains a beacon of reality in the macro fiscal world, and therefore a reason to return again and again.
Thank you and Tyler and all the others.
Thank you as well.
I suspect (but don't know for a fact) that many veterans still lurk the halls of ZH without posting comments. Others have moved on. Still others drop in from time to time and I just miss their one or two comments. Others probably have assumed alternative ID's here and changed their voice in order to hide. Who really knows?
The article wasn't intended to answer questions but rather to ask several more and to act as a bit of written history. For example, people who have been here for less than 6 months have probably never seen a Marla Singer post or heard her sexy voice on Radio Zero.
Like Marla smoking inside someones brain cave, Brilliant Marla simply brilliant.
Speaking for myself will not give in to the falseness and illusion that has assimilated many. Caution is the retardant for too many and it is the training of the mind to know this, to work in the realm of reality and not always to be trying to make something over into another form of reality.
Many a being on this planet has gone and built a great world of supposition, a great barrier of supposition between ourselves and the true condition. We have been led to see that barrier as insurmountable---thats where I say FUCKING HOGWASH to those who give up by placing limitations on their minds. The tree does not grow old except through the limitations of years that man places upon it.
The idea of unfoldment belongs to man, when those who can reach the top- simply pull the stairs up with you.
Great write CD.
hide from what/whom? (rhetorical)
CD:
I think your post offers an important inquiry for each of us. Help me understand more what you mean.
If I get your point, it is that some of the veterans have left because:
--they were spinning their wheels, and became dissatisfied
--because in fact that as actors in a truth movement here they were not aware of their own deeper needs that were sort of "satisfied" by speaking here
--but "found" (maybe not consciously) that there was no deeper satisfaction
--because their activity didn't meet a deeper inner need
--and that need is to apprehend and attend to what is in fact an inner condition that usually escapes us
That is: speaking in the forum seems to scratch a deep itch, but maybe not fully or without full awareness of the deeper itch that is trying to get scratched.
SS
The dimenishment of the readership was the inevitable result of reaching the masses. A pure vision is often corrupted by participation.
Thank you for these thoughtful comments, I found myself receptive especially to the point that it is a journey of the ego reflected in the desperate attempt at influencing others actions, when in fact that drive cannot last. The idea that we offer others their own pain is particularly striking. You must understand then, that in offering this up to anyone possessing those qualities currently you will be rebuffed for doing so? By this post did you understand that nearly anyone reading it would be inclined to push it away? Ironically only someone a bit further along might be able to understand what is offered here. I for one am grateful for this effort, but to expect thanks is not sensible considering your own observations. However, you have my thanks :)
I do understand your points. First and foremost I am always writing just for myself. It helps me arrange my thoughts in order and it helps to separate the wheat from the chaff. I'm always amazed how much fuzzy thinking goes on in the brain that must be sorted through when it's reduced to the written word.
I am in fact writing to a pretty narrow audience that is effectively self selecting. Just read some of the comments for proof. I don't expect to reach many, but rather those who posses fertile soil to germinate my seeds. One never knows when one is ready, thus I would be remiss to assume anything about any one's readiness. This applied to myself as well. I have just started my journey.
WilliamBanzai7 and I were discussing this subject via email the other day. He said it well when he said Zero Hedge was the best place right now for our type of message. I agree.
Sorry you miss your vitual friends! Be grateful if they got jobs and are working. Some of us don't have work giving us plenty of time to blog. If your friends are working in the industry they can't really post here because we all know there really is no anonymity on the internet, as anonymous as this seems, and we still have the Patriot Act. One can't be too careful. Plus it takes time just to read the articles much less all the posts and then make commentary.
Which is why I hardly believe myself that I am commenting on this one.
but since it is already written....
Ive been here since the beginning. It was great when we had.more comments from financial nerds and wonks. I remember the days before registered users. There are more and more.hysterical gloom and doomers posting now. They are one trick ponies who have never read much keynes but criticise him anyway. More and.more of the.articles take on a.tone of gloom.and.doom. If there were a turning in the economy.could td see it? Will zerohedge be the.permabear always railing against the "ponzi" and accusing malevolent forces of dirty tricks and coverups when collapse.doesnt happen...but it is still right around the corner....tune in next week!
Keynes at least would change his.mind when the facts changed.
And one more thing. This.ignorant commentary.from the coverup conspiracy crowd is a turn off at times. We have multiple inflation measures and multiple unemployment numbers. Nothing is hidden. You can argue over hedonic adjustments or that we ought to have multiple inflation numbers broken down by population ....young versus old for example....you can argue over whether core or non core inflation is a better number and core is clearly superior in the long run with less statistical noise but those are debates the fed has. I think before people dump on fed statistics they should at least know the.theory and evidence behind them. We are going to get a test of whether tms.defined by austrians.or m2 is a better indicator, and all those people who blindly follow austrian theory butt cant explain the austrian theory of money and.how to measure it are just funny when they repeat sound bites they heard. People who think the loss of m3 data is a conspiracy need to know the limitations of m3 data and the fed reasoning for dropping m3 and counter the specific fed points and arguments. Thats why i have become a troll. The permabears have taken over the zero hedge comment section and dont countenance blasphemy against their true religion. The nerds and wonks who used to provide such valuable commentary and gave you the sense of community are not interested in low level gloom and doom discourse. Many now.just scan the headlines and find no fulfillment nor enlightenment in junk wars and.bitter people mouthing words and soundbites they do not understand.
topcalling-toad the 4 week veteran, tellin' it like it was back in the good old days. Too funny. Where's the ignore button?
Ugh. Quit your commentary and go start your own website with HarryWanger and your 3 fans. Fed statistics are horrendous - and more importantly, your logic on why we should take Fed stats at face value is, to put it mildly, broken at best.
Meanwhile, if you've been here since the beginning, then I created the heavens and earth... and the Fed doesn't prop up the stock market.
This is what i mean. You complain fed statistics are horrendous yet you have probably never looked at fed essays on hedonic adjustments plus you can go to shadowstats and.get.close to.original data. People complain about fed surveying and data measurement of the various unemployment indices and dont.understand.them. do you know.why the fed said they dropped m3? And i.dont believe i am defending fed statistics. I am pointing out that those who attack them rarely demonstrate their arguments. If you dont like the feds favorite unemployment measure they give you.all the alternatives. Pick the one you think is most.predictive.of the.future and prepare to defend it. This is fight club.
and what of the 95% of the dollar's purchasing power that has completely vanished due to the policies of the fed over the decades, how do you defend that?
even if every word the fed has ever spoken has been absolute truth, their very existence is antithetical to a free and open market. I mean, you don't seem to have any problem with allowing a private bank to hold absolute sway over the currency.
What happens when all currency goes digital? Are you still going to defend the fed when that transpires?
Good grief, son. Never bring a knife to a gunfight.
From the horse's "mouth" (http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/perfeval2006.htm)
"...M3 did not appear to convey any additional information about economic activity that was not already embodied in M2 and had not played a role in the monetary policy process for many years. Consequently, the Federal Reserve Board judged that the costs of collecting the underlying data and publishing M3 outweighed the benefits. Historical data on M3 and the components of M3 not included in M2 continue to be provided on the Federal Reserve Board's web site; these data were created as of March 2006 and are not updated.
As a result of the discontinuance of M3, the following reports were discontinued: "Report of Repurchase Agreements (RPs) on U.S. Government and Federal Agency Securities with Specified Holders" (FR 2415; OMB No. 7100-0074) and "Weekly Report of Eurodollar Liabilities Held by Selected U.S. Addressees at Foreign Offices of U.S. Banks (FR 2050; OMB No. 7100-0068)...."
The Costs? Are you kidding me? The marginal cost of collecting these additional bits of information is, practically speaking, zero. And it's borne by the depositories, not the Fed in any case.
Also, nice sleight of hand by the Fed. Yes of course the data "did not appear to convey any additional information about economic policy." That's true...and beside the point. What any sane person is interested in w/M3 is information about monetary policy, in particular the "hot money" that net M3 contains, like repos and term eurodollar deposits.
Are you paid by the number of tendentious posts? If so, you're really raking it in today.
Bro, you are new.. the anger will pass.. everyone here is on yourside.. not the FED's.
JW, I have not seen anyone say anything nice about the Fed that I can remember, so yes, we ARE all on the same side at least there.
If I make it to Montana like I hope to this year, I am going to try Noreen's .338 Lapua.
good people, great times... you cant go wrong. in Montana.. as for the .338... enjoy! give us a zero hedge range report.
If my wife will let me... Just so you know who's boss at home!
pussy does rule the world...always has, equal fucking rights? what the fuck?
No shit, worst deal any group of humans ever made.. Lets give away all these special privileges so we can be equal to stinky hairy men, ha .. nice call.
I meant for us Love, not you gals... equal rights for us men.
As Dell (Gary Busey) said in D. C. Cab:
He said veterans, not trolls.
the vets were trolls of a magnitude seen above plus a FED mulitple... you had better have you shit in order or you would lose a fucking arm.. none of this pussy bad mouthing bullshit...
facts: sourced and sited... and dont bother with fucking kato or palin .com shit either..
the old days were a daily war, then it turned into a gold salesman paradise, thats why I left..
I own more gold than I should maybe... but that was the sum total of passion, which just got old.. for me, personaly.
If by "beginning" you mean 4 weeks and 6 days ago then I agree.
How do you know i have always been a top.calling troll?
You are what your ID says you are unless you can prove you were someone else. It's as simple as that.
The thing with anonymity here on ZH is that you must stick with the ID you started with or you lose your credibility, at least when talking about longevity. The only thing you can prove is how long your ID has been registered, thus that's the only measure of your longevity in an anon world.
I have no interest in proving anything, and i.do like your commentaries. Always read them. Zero hedge will.always evolve and change. It will grow, become.senile and.die.evemtually. i will mourn its passage. i would.think that my.reference to posting in the old days, before user id's and back when there was still debate on the varying writing styles of td and whether he was one or many might be sufficient, but argue against my ideas, not my identity.
you have too many periods...
I did not junk you cd. That is a strange junk. Jw. That has to be yu....always stirring up trouble. I am gonna spray your moma.if you.keep this up.