Jack Donovan wrote about the Empire of Nothing in his books, The Way of Men, Becoming A Barbarian, and A More Complete Beast. And indeed we live in the Empire of Nothing. We live in a guilded cage.

If you live in the West, you live in a guilded cage. Sorry, not sorry, but it’s true. Unless you want to “ex-patriate,” give up your citizenship, and basically never come back, you live in a guilded cage. The United States of America is one the countries that require you, as a U.S. citizen to pay your taxes to Uncle Sam, even if you live in another part of the world, earning a living in a different currency. Tell me again how “living abroad” is so freeing, bro.

The truth is, if you live in the West, you have always lived in a guilded cage, from the time that you were born.

Something financially came up for me recently and I’ll be able to pay off my mortgage. I will officially be a home owner. Except I won’t. Sure, the bank won’t be able to come after me, but the One True God, the State, still can.

If I don’t stay current on my property taxes, the State can come in and seize my home, my property. It’s been that way for as long as I have been alive.

You can “squat” on “public” property and get away with it for awhile. You might even be able to pull it off in private sectors as well, but in the end, the State can and will eventually show up with force, since it has the monopoly on violence, and it will remove you from that property. Let me know how that works out for you, bro.

And it’s been this way ever since I have been alive.

Welcome to the guilded cage.

Now I might sound a little bitter about this, and if I’m being completely honest, I am a little bitter. But there is nothing I can do about it except accept it. I truly don’t “own” my property, none of it really. Not even the vehicles and “toys” I have purchased over the years. If I want to continue driving my car and motorcycles without the State impounding them, I have to keep the registration on each of those vehicles current. Welcome to the guilded cage.

You were born in a guilded cage and if you stay here, at least in the West, you will die in a guilded cage. I honestly can’t imagine that it is any better in any other part of the world. Sure I might actually be able to own some dirt in a third world shithole somewhere, but I’m trading dirt for something else. It might be something like being able to criticize the government without fear of retribution from the government. I might be able to own a patch of dirt somewhere else in the world, where I could pass it down through the generations, but good luck in having plumbing and clean, drinkable water.

I find it amusing when people squabble online about “property rights and ownership.” You don’t own it and you never truly will. Property taxes. Keep that in mind. Don’t pay your taxes and tell me how that ultimately works out for you, bro.

With all of that being said, living in a guilded cage isn’t terrible. I have clean, drinkable water. Consistent electricity. I can run my mouth here online as long as I don’t call a bundle of sticks a bundle of sticks. Even then I can do that as long as I don’t target a specific person. I can’t really complain to be honest.

Like Jack Donovan said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “You live in the Empire of Nothing and there is nowhere to go. You can’t escape it. So carve out your life inside of it. Do what works for you and thrive from within.” Like I said, paraphrasing. Everything else is irrelevant.

This is why I don’t get caught up in outrage anymore. I can’t do anything about it, and honestly it has no direct impact on my meager, little life, so who cares? Why bother? Life is too short.

Besides, most of the bullshit you see online is only happening online. I go outside into the real world and the great majority of people out there didn’t get the memo that we are all going to die any day now and that men and women should be and are hating one another.

So while you are arguing about “muh freedom,” realize that you have never been truly free, ever. Not for at least 70 years or more. You have been living in a guilded cage.

And honestly, do you think you could truly survive in a world where you had to be totally accountable for yourself, your health, and your safety? You think you could be truly self-reliant?

You truly think you could? Really? Interesting, bro. Tell me more.