The Burnout Myth + Cognitive Buffer Stocks + Why I’m Hitting Pause
The technocrats in the Core rely on us burning out. A quick update on the Substack, and a toolkit to keep you sharp while I build some personal redundancy.
G’day.
People ask why I’m so passionate about this work.
Because I’ve seen firsthand what happens when our economy treats people as disposable. I didn’t come to MMT from an ivory tower.
I came to it because the system we have failed me, and I needed real answers.
The last few weeks have been monumental.
We launched the full 17-point Fightback 2.0 blueprint on May Day, laying down the operational tracks for a socially sufficient Australia.
On May 5th, we locked in the new pricing and structure for this publication moving forward. And just days ago, we dropped a major Friday Fightback defending the Job Guarantee against its progressive critics.
The response has been incredible. You’ve downloaded the PDFs, shared the vision, and proven that people are hungry for a roadmap out of the Nihilism Trap.
A few days ago we had Budget Night in Canberra—the high holiday of Ceremonial economics. The Canberra Bubble is currently hyper-fixated on “back in black” spreadsheets and fiscal discipline. But before we spend any energy dissecting their ceremonial habits, we have to apply our own economic theories to ourselves.
In The Engine Manual, I wrote about the need for Fractal Buffer Stocks—redundancy at the macro, meso, and micro levels.
Right now, my personal micro-level buffer stock is depleted.
Due to unforeseen life circumstances that require my full attention, my “activation energy” needs to be directed entirely toward the home front.
The neoliberal myth is that we must grind until we break.
The reality is that rest, coordination, and strategic pauses are what make a system resilient.
I will be hitting pause on publishing new weekly deep-dives here on Substack for a little while. There might also be a random one here and there.
To my paid subscribers: thank you for your ongoing support. Your backing is what makes this entire project possible, and it ensures this platform will be here, fully independent, when I return.
The Fightback Toolkit: State-Mastery While I’m Away
While I’m off the grid, the mission doesn’t stop.
You have the Fightback 2.0 blueprint in your hands. To sharpen your arguments, test the theories, and dive deeper into the mechanics of State-Mastery, I have put together a reading (and playing) list for you.
Think of this as your interim toolkit:
1. The Operational Playbook
If Fightback 2.0 gave you the destination, this piece gives you the specific tools we use to build the bridge. It’s a deep dive into the practical mechanisms of an economy that serves the public purpose.
2. Test Drive the Economy
MMT President Simulator (Standard Edition)
Want to prove to a skeptic that the federal budget isn’t a household budget?
Send them this.
I built this interactive simulator so you can take the wheel.
Try to manage inflation, unemployment, and public spending yourself using the actual operational realities of a currency issuer.
3. The Myth-Busting Masterclass
Engaging Rebuttals to Economic Misconceptions
You will inevitably run into people quoting the “Public Story” of scarcity—that we have to tighten our belts, that taxes fund spending, that the Job Guarantee will cause hyperinflation.
This post is your cheat sheet. Bookmark it and use it when the debates heat up.
4. The Deep Dive
The Keen Debate: Trade, MMT, and Ecology
For those who want to get into the heavy intellectual lifting, this is a comprehensive breakdown of the intersection between Modern Monetary Theory, global trade, and ecological limits. It addresses some of the biggest critiques head-on.
The technocrats in the Core rely on us burning out. They rely on the Outer Rim being too exhausted by the daily grind to coordinate and push back.
We aren’t going to give them that satisfaction. Building a Social Floor means building one for yourself, too.
Take care of yourselves, look out for your communities, and keep sharing the Fightback blueprint. I’ll be back on the bridge of the ship as soon as I can.
You can’t Stop the Signal
Serenity out.
