How Can You Enjoy the Decline?

I have been meaning to order Aaron Clarey’s new book Enjoy the Decline after viewing the sample pages from Amazon and reading over the description:

The “End of America?” Most likely. The “Demise of liberty?” You betcha! The “Destruction of Western Civilization?” Of course! But why let all of the above get you down? Learn to “Enjoy the Decline!” “Enjoy the Decline” is mandatory reading for all conservatives, libertarians, Americans, and lovers of freedom who are mourning the slow, but sure death of their culture and their country. America is over. Freedom will be curtailed. Liberty is dead. And above all else, it is inevitable. But the answer is not to get depressed and give up hope. The answer is to change your attitude and learn how to “Enjoy the Decline.” You get one life on this planet and Aaron Clarey explains how to get the most out of it even though socialism and tyranny are all around you. From learning how to adapt your psychology to learning to let go and take advantage of the socialist system, “Enjoy the Decline” carries the freedom loving American through the 5 stages of grief and puts them on a path to enjoy their life regardless of what is happening to their beloved America. Dark, macabre, and morose, but truthful, helpful, and practical all the same, it is guaranteed to make you happier than your socialist counterparts even though they have everything they want. Make leftists, liberals, and progressives miserable. Enjoy the Decline!

It reminds me of libertarian Harry Browne’s premise in his book How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World:

Freedom is the opportunity to live your life as you want to live it. And that is possible, even if others remain as they are.

If you’re not free now, it might be because you’ve been preoccupied with the people or institutions that you feel have restrained your freedom. I don’t expect you to stop worrying about them merely because I suggest that you do.

I do hope to show you, though, that those people and institutions are relatively powerless to stop you — once you decide how you will achieve your freedom. There are things you can do to be free, and if you turn your attention to those things, no one will stand in your way. But when you become preoccupied with those who are blocking you, you overlook the many alternatives you could use to bypass them.

I don’t know that institutions and people are powerless to stop you from freedom, it seems these days that they try pretty hard and often succeed. However, I get the gist of what these authors are trying to tell their readers: that understanding how to work the system or work around it can put you on the path to, if not freedom, enjoyment of life and a sense that you have some control over your fate and life. For example, a reviewer over at Amazon says in response to Clarey’s book:

This book is awesome. I am a little depressed I can’t go and follow the advice being stuck in the Army for 2 more years, but, I know what I’m gonna do: Get a useless degree in Europe on the government dime, just so I can party and have fun with that GI Bill.

How about you? Any ideas on how you will enjoy the decline?

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