LD: During another lifetime, it seems, I was often interviewed, mostly in English but also in Vietnamese, then I was ditched. My last chance to chatter in print was on 3/15/15, but published only in an Arabic newspaper in London. (Its English text is available at
Always a pleasure to hear Linh's thoughts on life, art, and humanity.
He and his writings have been helping me navigate the insanity of life
in usausa, and the world, for years. His humanity in the face of it all is my inspiration to carry on, to try and be a decent person. Thanks for everything guy!
Who is Robert Patterson? When I search most results direct me to an actor whose name is spelled differently. What has he written? Does he have a blog? Great interview. Officially I am a certified mentally ill loser, I have a certificate of sorts, and I love it. I am no longer trying to stifle my self-conversation, other than a resolution to be a bit more interesting to my selves, with less cursing and flagellation. Mick Jagger sang about talking to himself in NYC Central Park at night, as a defense mechanism. Maybe the entire USA is like Central Park after dark now. Ooh, ooh ooh oooh…
Does calling yourself a mentally ill loser immunize you from the people trying to snipe your ego? Your writing, from the stuff that's obviously shit you're slinging to the worked material that flows from the heart and the craft: it has moved and inspired and encouraged me, and clearly I'm not alone with this sense, but importantly it's also given me hope that despite seeing horror as you have I too can cultivate that kind of transforming humor inside that finds the joke worth telling.
I like how you question the questions to clarify where to go. Don't see that often, especially not in people who want to talk just about themselves. It must come from a habit of listening to listen.
This is a great interview. There are at least a dozen starters for a good conversation/discussion here, so it's hard to even know where to start.
You said: “Around 2010, I was convinced the country was collapsing. With energy depletion, outsourcing of production and a degenerate culture, the US was clearly doomed, but as the world’s deadliest bully, Uncle Sam has been able to prolong his reckless, fuck you spree by running up record debts, which he won’t pay.”
Depressingly, I agree--that’s really it in a nutshell.
Also: “Many people who can write and apparently think very well are sidestepping obvious conclusions about what's going on…Since they don't want to lose their social standing, American intellectuals are very dishonest right now. They’re not articulating what they actually know, because they can't be so stupid to not recognize what's going on.”
And this feels depressing. Perhaps some believe they know WHY it is going on, and it seems to me that a certain type of intellectual tends to be even more prone than most to believe himself exempt from the happenings that impact "the lower orders."
I agree with the observation that binning things as politically left or right is too simplistic. But in a sense, I believe that the jab, worthless at best and medically harmful at worst, has yet found its true calling as a proxy for an ideological test. This is what appears to be going on with the universities in the US, many (most?) of whom have recently reiterated their requirement that students be jabbed and boosted if they want to enroll. Since even the corrupt FDA and CDC admitted long ago that the jabbed can still catch and spread Covid, this requirement is obviously not based on medical science.
"Recently, Kunstler actually suggested COVID was invented to bring down Donald Trump, “My personal theory is that the Covid-19 release was wholly and entirely about getting rid of Donald Trump and nothing else […]” Come on, man, you’ve got to be insane to think that. I find it sad Kunstler would say something so silly. Since he’s a very smart man, he must understand more than what he lets on."
Besides Agenda 2030, The Reset and all things associated with it I too think they brought in Covid to destroy Trump and the populist movement behind him. They are still at it claiming that those who back Trump are out to destroy democracy and that they are extremists. I know Trump isn't for the little guy just like practically everybody in the corridors of power but he nonetheless had a large following that concerned those who wish, or are paid to wish for this new 'sustainable' way of living that they keep pushing without any new 'sustainable' infrastructure in place.
Why do it when Trump was in power? While the Covid thing was probably not conjured up with Trump in mind, I think that he may have been part of the catalyst that made them decide to let it go as his movement was quite popular amongst a large contingent of lowbrow conservatives.
Do you not think it may be that the powers thought we need to do this now or this guy is going to screw up our plans?
Happy to read this Linh. Reminds me of many of our many, in-person, drunken convos over goat meat...since I don't fully remember the content of those conversations, this serves as a nice analogue.
Always a pleasure to hear Linh's thoughts on life, art, and humanity.
He and his writings have been helping me navigate the insanity of life
in usausa, and the world, for years. His humanity in the face of it all is my inspiration to carry on, to try and be a decent person. Thanks for everything guy!
Who is Robert Patterson? When I search most results direct me to an actor whose name is spelled differently. What has he written? Does he have a blog? Great interview. Officially I am a certified mentally ill loser, I have a certificate of sorts, and I love it. I am no longer trying to stifle my self-conversation, other than a resolution to be a bit more interesting to my selves, with less cursing and flagellation. Mick Jagger sang about talking to himself in NYC Central Park at night, as a defense mechanism. Maybe the entire USA is like Central Park after dark now. Ooh, ooh ooh oooh…
Does calling yourself a mentally ill loser immunize you from the people trying to snipe your ego? Your writing, from the stuff that's obviously shit you're slinging to the worked material that flows from the heart and the craft: it has moved and inspired and encouraged me, and clearly I'm not alone with this sense, but importantly it's also given me hope that despite seeing horror as you have I too can cultivate that kind of transforming humor inside that finds the joke worth telling.
I like how you question the questions to clarify where to go. Don't see that often, especially not in people who want to talk just about themselves. It must come from a habit of listening to listen.
Great interview , Linh. Your intellectual honesty and willingness to follow where it takes you is a shining example for all!
Fantastic interview, Linh.
Bill
What a great pair of guys. What a great interview. What a great life and work.
This is a great interview. There are at least a dozen starters for a good conversation/discussion here, so it's hard to even know where to start.
You said: “Around 2010, I was convinced the country was collapsing. With energy depletion, outsourcing of production and a degenerate culture, the US was clearly doomed, but as the world’s deadliest bully, Uncle Sam has been able to prolong his reckless, fuck you spree by running up record debts, which he won’t pay.”
Depressingly, I agree--that’s really it in a nutshell.
Also: “Many people who can write and apparently think very well are sidestepping obvious conclusions about what's going on…Since they don't want to lose their social standing, American intellectuals are very dishonest right now. They’re not articulating what they actually know, because they can't be so stupid to not recognize what's going on.”
And this feels depressing. Perhaps some believe they know WHY it is going on, and it seems to me that a certain type of intellectual tends to be even more prone than most to believe himself exempt from the happenings that impact "the lower orders."
I agree with the observation that binning things as politically left or right is too simplistic. But in a sense, I believe that the jab, worthless at best and medically harmful at worst, has yet found its true calling as a proxy for an ideological test. This is what appears to be going on with the universities in the US, many (most?) of whom have recently reiterated their requirement that students be jabbed and boosted if they want to enroll. Since even the corrupt FDA and CDC admitted long ago that the jabbed can still catch and spread Covid, this requirement is obviously not based on medical science.
I was reading "Robert Pattinson interviews me". Haha! :-D
"Recently, Kunstler actually suggested COVID was invented to bring down Donald Trump, “My personal theory is that the Covid-19 release was wholly and entirely about getting rid of Donald Trump and nothing else […]” Come on, man, you’ve got to be insane to think that. I find it sad Kunstler would say something so silly. Since he’s a very smart man, he must understand more than what he lets on."
Besides Agenda 2030, The Reset and all things associated with it I too think they brought in Covid to destroy Trump and the populist movement behind him. They are still at it claiming that those who back Trump are out to destroy democracy and that they are extremists. I know Trump isn't for the little guy just like practically everybody in the corridors of power but he nonetheless had a large following that concerned those who wish, or are paid to wish for this new 'sustainable' way of living that they keep pushing without any new 'sustainable' infrastructure in place.
Why do it when Trump was in power? While the Covid thing was probably not conjured up with Trump in mind, I think that he may have been part of the catalyst that made them decide to let it go as his movement was quite popular amongst a large contingent of lowbrow conservatives.
Do you not think it may be that the powers thought we need to do this now or this guy is going to screw up our plans?
Happy to read this Linh. Reminds me of many of our many, in-person, drunken convos over goat meat...since I don't fully remember the content of those conversations, this serves as a nice analogue.