Theron Bassett

Theron A. Bassett II (born 2001) is an American military veteran, manager, brand founder, and life coach.

He is the founder and rights holder of Improve or Death (@ImproveOrDeath), a cultural brand that promotes Traditional Inclusive Classical Liberalism, American exceptionalism, voluntary household patriarchy, interfaith dialogue among Abrahamic faiths, and opposition to ideological extremism from both the left and right.

Bassett describes himself as a "repentant worthless sinner"—neither saint nor apologist—and the brand is a cultural project opposing chaos through anti-populist, pro-institutionalist principled values. He is a Christian who respects Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, having been baptized into the Catholic Church, while emphasizing ecumenism, synodality, and inclusive classical liberalism as the core of American identity. His work centers on cultural renewal rather than partisan politics, advocating personal responsibility, asset ownership, traditional family structures, and urban revitalization. He has built visibility on X through content focused on self-improvement, complementarian gender roles, institutional stability, and principled anti-extremism.

Early life

Born in 2001 in the Midwest, United States, Bassett attended Princeton High School, where he competed as a varsity cross country runner and served as a reserve on the men's basketball team. He was recruited on an athletic scholarship to compete in cross country, track, and volleyball at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois.

Military and professional career

Bassett served in the United States Armed Forces as a materiel manager and logistician. He began as an entry-level recruit and advanced rapidly, participating in operations in combat zones. He was on deployment orders for longer than the duration of World War I (4 years, 3 months, and 14 days; 1,567+ days) and the duration of U.S. involvement in World War II (3 years, 8 months, and 25 days; 1,364 days).

Notable achievements include:

Direct oversight of multimillion-dollar budgets—including a $2.9 million budget—and leading 45 people as a senior logistician, before the age of 24.

Specialized expertise in aviation logistics and medical logistics—leading the supply department at an airfield and a medical facility—while managing high-volume mail distribution at a deployed post office (including over 20,000 mail items over several months) and maintaining mission-critical readiness and regulatory compliance.

Providing direct medical support for patients in critical condition in austere combat environments, ensuring timely delivery and management of life-sustaining medical supplies.

Responsible for maintaining armed security during hostile environments.

He credits this experience with developing expertise in organizational leadership, project management, supply chain operations, and intra-personal counseling.

Education

Bassett attended Princeton High School, the University of Massachusetts Global, and Capella University. He holds several advanced degrees, including a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Improve or Death

Bassett established Improve or Death LLC in August 2019. The brand's slogan, "Improve or Death," reflects an imperative for individual and societal betterment. It gained national recognition in 2024–2025 via X, where posts reached tens of millions of views.

Core positions

Defense of Inclusive Classical Liberalism and traditional Christian synodality.

Deconstruction of left- and right-wing ideological extremism, radical populism, and antisemitism.

Promotion of American exceptionalism, cultural normalcy, and interfaith cooperation among Christians, the Jewish People, and Muslims.

Encouragement of voluntary patriarchal households led by self-disciplined men, complementarian roles, and affirmation of traditional femininity.

Rejection of partisan tribalism, support for institutional integrity, and advocacy for urban American renewal.

Personal views and philosophy

Bassett’s commentary opposes both conservative and progressive ideology but supports inclusive traditional values, classical liberalism and voluntary patriarchy in households.

It stresses caution against populism and anti-institutionalism in support of responsible globalism, traditional patriarchal family values among women, family-based provision over state dependency, and warnings against moral decline in younger generations.