25 Years Online
••• The International Writers Magazine - The Last Days of Hackwriters are here...

Everything Must Go • Sam North 25 Years Later the shutters come down

I guess everything has to end at some point. Completing 25 years on-line this December seems about right.
I have been thinking about it for a while but kept it going because of our American correspondent James Campion. His lively insightful observations on American politics and life were something to look forward to every month, but this is it – he’s bowing out of pointing out the many flaws in the system and I suspect that an overwhelming sense of despair overtook him when despite everything Trump came back from the dead and won the election. Fortunately, James has built up a great career in his books about music and musicians and good luck to him. His new book 'Prince & the Revolution' will be published in 2025.

So, we lose one writer, but also lose heart as everything, everywhere all at once it seems to fall apart. The ‘West’ i.e. countries that practice free and fair democracy are collapsing into chaos. It was predicted once the pandemic was over that people would respond by throwing out the governments that imposed restrictions upon them, but it has morphed into a kind of craziness – pushed by social media and of course the Putin influencers who are keen to demonstrate that democracy is in ruin and what people need are autocrats, who will rule all with no restraints and punish any who might disagree with them.

As I write this (18th December) Chinese forces are building up all around Taiwan. Could this be the next hotspot? Taiwan could fall right now because we are in a power vaccum in America. Biden will hesitate to respond knowing that Trump couldn't care less about one small island far away from America. With South Korea in disarray Taiwan can't count on any support from the American military based there. The Chinese read the West very well. They take Taiwan they control the future supply of computer chips. Game Over.

One can see dominoes falling in Europe with increasing speed. Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Georgia), accelerating towards ending democracy and a free press. Now you can add France with a risk the Far Right assuming power in 2027 and Germany where the fascist Afd could take control in as soon as February 2025. Syria is no democracy but the sudden collapse of Assad's regime is a real lesson in how quickly power can be lost. No one knows what kind of Islamic government will take over once the celebrations end but let's be optimistic as Syrians are desperate for a normal peaceful life. Syria is in economic dire straits and as former refugees flood home will there be enough food for them? Will human rights be respected by the new guys? Will a free press develop? Crossing fingers.

South Korea is almost a special case. From the outside it looks absurd that such a prosperous nation should be in such chaos so abruptly. But if you have ever seen a S. Korean political drama on Netflix you will know that there is a huge undercurrent of suspicion and paranoia and corruption present there. Ordinary South Koreans work hard but aren’t benefiting from the wealth. Passions run high. This is the country of ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Strangers’ starring Cho Seung Woo which give a good insight to the psychological state of S. Korea. They finally managed to impeach the President. Will things calm down now?

You could argue that something similar has happened in the USA. The rich get richer, the ‘blue collar workers’ have work and plenty of it but can’t get ahead as prices of everything rise ever higher. That they voted for someone who will make their lives a misery is part of this whole drift to autocracy – people believing their lies that if you abolish government (and federal workers) along with all the hard-won protections for the environment and human rights their lives will only get better. Intolerance for the ‘other’ is growing exponentially. The unpopularity of the Health Care sector tells it's own story. They make trillions exactly by inflating drug prices and denying health care. It's corrupt system.

The challenges ahead are incredible. From climate, mass illegal migration and deportations, to massive political corruption becoming normalized right across the world and a concerted effort to diminish, if not destroy a free press. Light might not be shown on the future crimes of politicians or venal tech trillionaires. (Musk spent a quarter of billion dollars on getting Trump elected for example and what financial favors will he gain one wonders)? Worse everyone is gambling on Bitcoin and other dubious cyber-currencies that are all have foundations built on sand. FOMO rules but beware of being the last one holding the parcel. * Today I learned that Iran keeps suffering from power cuts because so many people are mining bitcoin!

In the UK we look with despair to the Socialist Government elected here in July ‘24 with a huge majority. Almost immediately they have been revealed to be corrupt, not declaring expensive gifts and freebies – blatantly lied about the state of the economy and threw huge sums (billions) at various union workers with no conditions. We are stuck with them for five whole years, and they can do a huge amount of damage to the economy using net-zero obligations as a bludgeon. Their promises will prove to be worthless.

We can’t rely on the press or media to hold anyone to account anymore. Most people now get their information from Tik-Tok or other social media and ignore balanced opinion in legacy media.  As a consequence, society divides and fractures and sometimes explodes.

I shall miss Hackwriters as we shan't be commenting on any of the above in future. It’s been a long journey. I've only even met a fraction of our thousands of writers across the globe. I guess that's the real story - how we have so many connections but no actual social contact. I fondly remember our early days when our editorial team would meet up on Monday in the coffee shop in Falmouth and swop stories for editing and discuss new topics. Felt like a real magazine then. When it became fully remote I suppose I was living the future a decade before it became normal for everyone.

History and technological development have left us behind. I'm so happy I made a rule early on that we wouldn't allow 'comment' or trolling as it has become. It would have been unbearable. We shall leave only a faint digital trace that we were ever here, but nevertheless we were a small important part of the world-wide-web during this first quarter of the 21st century. I thank all the writers and students who contributed over eight thousand articles over the time about their lives, opinions, travels, and stories and wish them good luck with their somewhat terrifying futures.

I plan to travel more in 2025. No more deadlines, no worries and probably no money by the end of it. But with luck some inspiration for the next somewhat fraught years ahead.

Thanks for being part of our journey.

Goodbye
James Campion 12.14.24
A farewell from our American correspondent

© Sam North - Editor - December 18th 2024
author of Another Place to Die: Endtime Chronicles and Magenta.

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