This was an excellent essay, and probably more useful now than it would have been had the election turned out otherwise. Reading it leads me to ask what you would consider examples of "real politics," as opposed to fake or lunar politics. I found it easy to think of some, but wonder if you would agree -- if I've managed to grasp what you mean. I hope that you'll understand that these are not meant to be insulting or inflammatory.
I would offer the nineteenth-century Sicilian mafia, Lebanese Hizboallah, and the Afghan Taliban as potential models. All had their origins as practical associations of men who shared a common culture and were forced to respond to greater or lesser degrees of state and societal failure. Each existed in a very different context, and evolved in different ways, but all started at a local scale and either integrated or spread.
If these are valid examples, do you think that it is possible to emulate them without the same degree of cultural conformity that they enjoyed? How much do you think the various "right-wing community-building" organizations that you have experience with actually enjoy such conformity?
I do not believe it is possible given our particular socio-political circumstances.
Freedom is the problem.
Most people in our circles are obsessed with this idea that freedom is a worthwhile end and use it to justify contempt for their opponents and exalt their own activities.
Yet freedom is inimical to community formation. Any healthy community will constrain members' freedom to be sociopaths.
And such constraints are necessary given the... unimpressive character of our people.
Moreover, we lack immediate external threats that would compel people to relinquish autonomy in favor of the security of the community (which is why our condition differs from the examples given).
While that may be the case, many are starting to feel how hollow things are and are looking for something thicker. That they can trust. Many in my generation only have fair weather friends and that lack of social grounding is ripe soil but it will be hard.
However, a lot of the loneliness is self-inflicted. By this I mean that many people are incapable of being friends with another because of their neuroticism and antisocial tendencies.
So sincere and transformative self-examination must precede friendship.
However, attempts to do so are (and will continue to be) thwarted by the many self-help gurus in the marketplace.
So the hard ground will remain unbroken, save for those rare instances wherein people pursue a shared future-focused goal and can hold their sh*t together long enough to achieve something.
Wild that I was in the same scene at the same time, but on the other coast. New England Steampunk was different, but the same. Was it Boneshaker you were talking to your friend about? Couldn't read that one.
I had some good times there, but leaving it was a real growing moment for me.
A bisecting area this reminds me of is recent moves to try bring back older architect styles. The realization modern architect is hollow. Many of these types mean well but fail to understand why we got here, why the older styles were abandoned and its not cost as much of it can be done cheaply if done at scale. The modern temperament fundermental stops architects from developing anything new and that has become more apparent by the year. I believe this is an opening but I do not yet know how to take it.
There is a method for creating cults and new cultures.
It is well established and has been tested many times.
Its most famous success is Mormonism; Joseph Smith used the cult method to found it.
The formula for doing so is detailed in a book called Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson. Brunson is a legendary digital marketer and the godfather of the people who annoy you in the ads preceding your favorite Youtubers’ videos.
There are free pdfs of it online.
The method used for creating cults that feed the MLMs can also be used for nobler purposes.
Meanwhile at least 70 million dreadfully sane American's including many supposedly conservative Christians have elected a life-long fraudster con-man and pathological liar.
And speaking of the green world in which all living-breathing-feeling life is imbedded at many levels and the health of which we are completely dependent is going to be eviscerated by the incoming Trump administration. Such a prospect is clearly stated in the 2025 Project.
This was an excellent essay, and probably more useful now than it would have been had the election turned out otherwise. Reading it leads me to ask what you would consider examples of "real politics," as opposed to fake or lunar politics. I found it easy to think of some, but wonder if you would agree -- if I've managed to grasp what you mean. I hope that you'll understand that these are not meant to be insulting or inflammatory.
I would offer the nineteenth-century Sicilian mafia, Lebanese Hizboallah, and the Afghan Taliban as potential models. All had their origins as practical associations of men who shared a common culture and were forced to respond to greater or lesser degrees of state and societal failure. Each existed in a very different context, and evolved in different ways, but all started at a local scale and either integrated or spread.
If these are valid examples, do you think that it is possible to emulate them without the same degree of cultural conformity that they enjoyed? How much do you think the various "right-wing community-building" organizations that you have experience with actually enjoy such conformity?
I do not believe it is possible given our particular socio-political circumstances.
Freedom is the problem.
Most people in our circles are obsessed with this idea that freedom is a worthwhile end and use it to justify contempt for their opponents and exalt their own activities.
Yet freedom is inimical to community formation. Any healthy community will constrain members' freedom to be sociopaths.
And such constraints are necessary given the... unimpressive character of our people.
Moreover, we lack immediate external threats that would compel people to relinquish autonomy in favor of the security of the community (which is why our condition differs from the examples given).
While that may be the case, many are starting to feel how hollow things are and are looking for something thicker. That they can trust. Many in my generation only have fair weather friends and that lack of social grounding is ripe soil but it will be hard.
True dat.
However, a lot of the loneliness is self-inflicted. By this I mean that many people are incapable of being friends with another because of their neuroticism and antisocial tendencies.
So sincere and transformative self-examination must precede friendship.
However, attempts to do so are (and will continue to be) thwarted by the many self-help gurus in the marketplace.
So the hard ground will remain unbroken, save for those rare instances wherein people pursue a shared future-focused goal and can hold their sh*t together long enough to achieve something.
Wild that I was in the same scene at the same time, but on the other coast. New England Steampunk was different, but the same. Was it Boneshaker you were talking to your friend about? Couldn't read that one.
I had some good times there, but leaving it was a real growing moment for me.
Yup. Boneshaker. Wow you nailed it.
A bisecting area this reminds me of is recent moves to try bring back older architect styles. The realization modern architect is hollow. Many of these types mean well but fail to understand why we got here, why the older styles were abandoned and its not cost as much of it can be done cheaply if done at scale. The modern temperament fundermental stops architects from developing anything new and that has become more apparent by the year. I believe this is an opening but I do not yet know how to take it.
There is a method for creating cults and new cultures.
It is well established and has been tested many times.
Its most famous success is Mormonism; Joseph Smith used the cult method to found it.
The formula for doing so is detailed in a book called Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson. Brunson is a legendary digital marketer and the godfather of the people who annoy you in the ads preceding your favorite Youtubers’ videos.
There are free pdfs of it online.
The method used for creating cults that feed the MLMs can also be used for nobler purposes.
You might like https://newsfromuncibal.substack.com/p/after-the-wave?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1506164&post_id=151210459&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=p76q9&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Good entirely life positive essay.
Meanwhile at least 70 million dreadfully sane American's including many supposedly conservative Christians have elected a life-long fraudster con-man and pathological liar.
And speaking of the green world in which all living-breathing-feeling life is imbedded at many levels and the health of which we are completely dependent is going to be eviscerated by the incoming Trump administration. Such a prospect is clearly stated in the 2025 Project.
lol
Your name has a typo in it.
It should be 'Zippy the Pothead'.
Damn autocorrect.