The BBC is full of Orange Man Bad stories. This is their permanent setting, as best I can tell. This time, they are flipping out over Turkey invading Syria. The fun part of being a dissident is we know why this so. The Lobby gets its money’s worth from their socks in the media. Jeff Flake is all over the news, claiming Trump has to be removed because Orange Man Bad. Everyone has their serious face on, pretending that this is the most critical moment in human history. These people are ridiculous…

The hotel I am in is a working man’s place. It appears to cater to people holding meetings offsite. Lots of middle management types in the bar. All are middle age as well, which is something you see in America. Corporate America runs on middle-aged, middle-class white people trusted to do their best in their positions. The difference here is middle managers are more casual. Most of the men are in pullovers and jeans, like it is casual Friday. Europe is much more casual than the US.

Europe is also slower than the US. This is my East Coast bias. Of course, living in Lagos, people tend to live fast and die even faster, so there’s that. If you travel to the West in America, things slow down, but Europe is still a slower pace overall. They start late, finish early and don’t carry their work around with them. In America, the typical businessman works 60 hours a week. That does not seem to be so in Europe. They have a much more transactional relationship with their work too.

Much of what goes on in modern business is busy work. People are hired to do necessary tasks, but they always end up doing lots of unnecessary stuff too. When there are layoffs, the same amount work gets done, but with fewer people. Those people are not suddenly tasked with massive hours either. They work a bit harder, but they soon adjust by not doing the unnecessary stuff. Of course, much of it could be automated today and most of what’s left could soon be automated.

My hunch is the robot revolution never happens as expected, as those humans in those offices and cubicles do something a robot cannot do. They provide a culture. The corporate and industry culture are a defense in depth. It protects the firm and the industry from disruptions. All of the insiders seek to maintain the value of their insider status. A robot will never say, “this is how we have always done things.” Human networks are natural stabilizers and internal breaks that the robot lacks.

That’s what you see in corporate life. I’ve been out on my own for a long time, but watching the business types in the bar, I fondly recall the many after work drinking sessions with work friends. In every hotel bar that caters to the business man in the West, you find these ad hoc meetings. It’s part work and part social bonding that reinforces the culture. Humans are the gyroscope of business culture and that cannot be replaced with robots. An industry of ATM machines cannot exist…

I ran into some Americans, who are here on business, but have some down time to see the city. They asked me if I had some tips and, of course, where to avoid. I told them what I know and mentioned some dodgy areas “where they store their diversity.” They replied, “We’re from Detroit, we know.” I said, “I’m from Baltimore.” We had that moment of quiet understanding that men, having lived amid diversity, have when they meet one another. It’s an experience we share that is foreign to many…

On the BBC, I saw a show called “Live At The Apollo.” It is a comedy show like the American one of the same name, but it is in London. It is non-white comics making fun of the British. The audience is all white. The bit I saw was a black doing a bit on how rotten Britain was to Africa. They are laughing at how Brits are terrible, yet the comics would be sitting on a log scratching themselves through their loincloth, wondering where the next meal is coming from if not for whites. Why are we doing this…

In the bar, I struck up a conversation with who I thought was a local fellow. He took me for an American and wanted to chat. Our good looks, charm and wit are known the world over, so we get used to this when we travel. The BBC was on doing Orange Man Bad, so he used that to break the ice. A few minutes chatting with him, he said, “you sound familiar.” I get this a lot, as I now know I sound like every male PBS personality, so I’m prepared to make this point.

After some back and forth, he asked, “Are you here for Scandza.” At that point, I knew he was one of us, so I said I was and then he asked if I was the Z-Man. The world is a small place for most of us, but sometimes it feels claustrophobic. He is a listener to the podcast. He introduced me to a couple of friends. We had a good time drinking and talking about the things that occupy the mind of a dissident. I was very grateful for the company and the fellowship…

I did a couple hours with the fellas from Myth of the 20th Century. The resulting podcast is now posted on their site. I think the show came out well. I did better than normal, but I suspect that is due to them having a good format. They sent an outline in advance, so I could be prepared a bit. Most shows are ad hoc. I never know what I’ll be expected to discuss. Good hosts get the most from their guests. If you like deep-dives into historical topics, then I highly recommend their podcast. Lots of good stuff…

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