r/Chapotraphouse has been banned. Even the people who posted there seem to agree this is a net good (edit: although a reader objects this is likely just them pretending to be not-mad, rather than their real position). I often disagreed with Chapo but it was the largest far-left subreddit and so by extension the largest … Continue reading Reflections on a doomed subreddit: ?Vale r/Chapotraphouse
Category: Far left political theory
A case for the left without referring to any specific policy questions
Prejudice against the poor is as bad as racism or sexism, let’s start treating it that way.
If you enjoy this article check out my book, I've made it free to help you self-quarantine: https://deponysum.com/2020/03/30/something-to-read-in-quarantine-essays-2018-to-2020/ During the Twitter wars around the Democratic primary, a number of people felt comfortable being openly contemptful of the poor. This is not unusual, but the nature of Sanders movement, and its supposedly "progressive" opposition, meant that … Continue reading Prejudice against the poor is as bad as racism or sexism, let’s start treating it that way.
Talk to people about leftwing politics
Conversations can spread leftwing ideas. Right now we have a lot of time for conversations. People are looking for an explanation of what's going on. People are newly impoverished. People are yearning to connect. So now is a better time than any other time in my lifetime. Over my life I have moved at least … Continue reading Talk to people about leftwing politics
An essay I wish someone would write
There's an urgent need to update Guy Debord's concept of the spectacle to explain the unique contours it takes on in American politics. The way people desire a certain kind of succession of images and seem totally oblivious to the substance of politics is something that can surely only be understood in terms of the … Continue reading An essay I wish someone would write
A brief note on the disposability ideology
Consider three areas in which America is uniquely bad: Criminal justice *America imprisons more than twice as many people per capita as its nearest developed competitor, Israel. *The US imprisons children at a rate of 60 per 100,000, 11x higher than the western Europe and the highest in the world. Healthcare *The US is the … Continue reading A brief note on the disposability ideology
For communism and against foreclosure on the future
By communism here we mean a system in which the principle of: From each according to their ability, to each according to their need Is implemented as the sole principle of economic distribution. There has never been a a advanced communist society- only societies that aspire to communism in the long run. Money still existed … Continue reading For communism and against foreclosure on the future
The end of Neoliberalism and the beginning of the venal age? Comment on Crooked Timber
The following comment was made on Crooked Timber by a friend (Tim Scriven). After speaking about it with him I'm reprinting it here with slight modifications as requested: "I have a take on Neoliberalism- it’s pretty poorly informed, but then a lot of people have pretty poorly informed takes on this subject. There are actually … Continue reading The end of Neoliberalism and the beginning of the venal age? Comment on Crooked Timber
On critical social-technological points
1. Critical Social-Technological Points I want introduce the idea of a critical social-technological point (CSTP). A CSTP is a technological discovery or implementation after which the existing hierarchies and ruling class of a society is locked in, in the sense that removing them from power, or even resisting them in any measurably important way, becomes … Continue reading On critical social-technological points
Technological unemployment isn’t the point
I. At the moment there’s a huge debate over whether or not advancing robotics and artificial intelligence is likely to lead to ongoing technological unemployment- a permanent increase in unemployment due to automation. For the most part though, I think this discussion over technological unemployment elides the scarier prospect- technological marginalisation. By technological marginalisation I … Continue reading Technological unemployment isn’t the point
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