Dennis Mangan highlights the need for evolutionary theory of sacred national honor. (More here.) If not biology, then perhaps game theory has some answers. If, as appears to be the case, certain forms “irrationality” are adaptive, then what’s so “irrational” about them? (“I donna tink that word means what you tink it means…”) My own guess is that traditional culture itself is a kind of cybernetic optimization for a given people in a given time and locale. And that we haven’t learned but a tiny fraction of what it is prepared to teach us.
Speaking of which… Was chatting with Oddblots last night IRL and he was saying how his position on Chesterton’s Fence has evolved to: basically you need irrefutable proof that we no longer need it before tearing it down. I think that would make a fine Zeroth Reactionary Principle.
Jim illustrates how a very promising show can be easily ruined by writers pretending their characters are 21st century progressives deep down in their bleeding heart of hearts. When the thought police have the upper hand, people do the bulk of the policing themselves.
John Glanton adroitly stakes out a moderate position on ethno-nationalism with which I can find no fault.
By way of Neovictorian, I found Free Northerner’s detailed and quite plausible Winning Conservative Strategy. (VXXC has gotta see this!) The trouble is that Republicans, like all good Americans within and without the US armed forces, local police forces, and NRA, believe deeply in America’s founding myths, not least of which is we are a nation of laws, not of men. In such an environment, the apparent trump card of highest potential for violence simply doesn’t exist.
That’s not to say that $35 million per year (give or take) could not do some considerable good on the propaganda front, but I fear that orders of magnitude more money is available to be, and would indeed be, spent in the mainstream media (including center right journalistic organs) discrediting a Rightist Dirty Tricks Squad. Dampier capably (as always) answers the specifics of the plan. Neovic adds:
I don’t believe it’s possible to change society (including the whole of “The West” within that) through some kind of educational, political or propaganda action, given current conditions. As long as Real Housewives, NFL football and internet porn are available for the masses, as long as the grocery stores have some reasonable levels of foodstuffs, as long as the stations have gasoline, and, especially, as long as the welfare, food stamp and unemployment EBT cards still work, there will not be the levels of general desperation in the big democracies for the kind of mass scale upheaval that would result in regime change and a reorganization on nationwide levels to some kind of fiscally conservative, soundly moral society.
Changing our little acre of society, beginning with ourselves, is probably the most we can reasonably hope for. Of course, we won’t turn down more, but fighting battles that we can win for ground we can hold remains the best strategy. (Though I am a bit sore of him lumping the NFL in with Real Housewives and porn. Some amusements are better than others.)
Social Pathologist offers a few more thoughts on The Purge. Saletan here is either too satirical by half or completely batshit insane. (Did he miss the memo: “Don’t ever go Full Retard”?) SP points out that Anglophone purges won’t look like they always do in the comic books graphic novels:
Everyone imagines the Soviet Gulags or the Nazi Concentration camps, but Dawson recognised that even tyranny has a certain cultural flavour and Anglo tyranny will be unlike anything else. There will be no slaughters or death camps (though a few notable individuals may be sacrificed as examples) rather, there will the progressive ostracism of any individual who doesn’t follow the party line. Loss of job, loss of status, exclusion from cultural institutions, forced education and so on.
From Isegoria: How far Israel goes to not kill the bad guys. It’s as if they have a Church Lady watching over them or something.
BTW, did you know Steve Sailer has a Lame Jessie Jackson imitations label with more than one entry in it? That guys knows a lot about a lot! (Only one entry in Preppie Hammer Bloodbath Nightmares however.)
Kristor makes the Orthosphere’s first use of the term “thede” in articulating some insightful thoughts on the interplay between genes and culture. In so doing he carves out a moderate position on kindred-preferences that violates neither the Christian Gospel nor biology.
Speaking of thedes, Malcolm Pollack has coined a useful term (with snappy acronym): Cultural Immunodeficiency Virus (CIV) to describe pathological social memes like the terminal nice-itude of Sweden’s former cultural minister, who purports to believe:
We must be open and tolerant towards Islam and Muslims because when we become a minority, they will be so towards us.
CIV: The virus that causes cultural suicide.
Jim makes humourously short shrift of trans-women.
Esoteric Trad has a few thoughts on building a community. He seems to be on board and working with Mike Anissimov on The Idaho Plan, which, though I fully support the idea, seems like it needs a snappier name (Occidental Society of Idaho or something?).
In the midst of his Tour of Doom, Bryce manages to pop his head up with an Ode to the Wage Gap. If there were a wage gap, then we should have to double it.
At the risk of further annoying (and alienating) my coreligionists many of whom seem get the vapors every time his name comes up, this bit from CH is exactly the kind of thing that I’m talking about when I talk about “game” as a (morally neutral, in principle) “set of psychological techniques to establish social dominance.” It’s a practical little thing to do that might strengthen a relationship. Could it be used for evil purposes? Sure. Could it be used to make a husband and wife more happy? Sure. If this sort of practical advice exists within the Christian Aristolean-Thomist-Game-is-Pure-Evil-osphere, then please (PLEASE!!) point me to it.
LATE BREAKING… This just in from Peppermint. The article is behind a paywall (alas![Update: this link seems to be to the full Globe article]), but the gist of it seems to be “Diversity Consultants” going into full shake-down mode. Peppermint seems to take some hope from the fact that this is being reported in the über-lefty Boston Globe (vis-à-vis the more townie Herald). Is it the Cathedral scraping off some of the more malicious barnacles or preparing patches of skin for more and better behaved (e.g., “accountable”) ones?
Welp. That’s about all I got time fer. Keep on reading (and donating to) Theden. THE AGGREGATOR has become my first stop for news & current events. Keep on reactin’! TRP… over and out!!
Full disclosure: I watch a bit of NFL occasionally myself! I used it as an example because it’s the behemoth. My wife recently got herself off of Real Housewives, much to her credit. In my home we’ve cut down quite a bit on television over the last year, but still watch some.
I agree with you that some amusements really are better than others. But whether consciously designed or not, we certainly have a wonderful system for keeping The Peepul dazed and distracted…
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“…is exactly the kind of thing that I’m talking about when I talk about “game” as a (morally neutral, in principle) “set of psychological techniques to establish social dominance.” It’s a practical little thing to do that might strengthen a relationship. Could it be used for evil purposes? Sure. Could it be used to make a husband and wife more happy? Sure. If this sort of practical advice exists within the Christian Aristolean-Thomist-Game-is-Pure-Evil-osphere, then please (PLEASE!!) point me to it.”
Although I’ve never really been won over by the approach of the game-denialists /game-is-evil contingent, I think they do have a good point about being wary about where one’s foundations are. The solution, in my mind, is not more or less game, but more religion. Those who worship the Truth should be expert on all things human; it is an invitation to deeper understanding to find out that they are not. What does the efficacy of game have to say about the female condition? What about the male condition? My thinking is: more Job and Joshua, less prosperity gospel.
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neovic: I was of course just playin’ with ya. Not a huge NFL fan myself, but it’s an interesting game (not nearly as interesting as baseball IMO). Amusements are not the only way the Cathedral distracts its victims from their subhuman fate. There’s voting and political action and moral crusades and keeping up with Joneses. Hmmm… maybe they are amusements after all…
seriouslypleasedropit:
Those who worship the Truth should be expert on all things human; it is an invitation to deeper understanding to find out that they are not. What does the efficacy of game have to say about the female condition? What about the male condition? My thinking is: more Job and Joshua, less prosperity gospel.
Nothing to disagree with there. I think it is at least a situation similar to the Corinthian question of meat sacrificed to idols. I think too many Christians wish to live in denial about biological and psychological realities. I think PUAs want to take illicit advantage of them.
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the thing about using Game to get sex out of women is that it works, it’s horrifying to watch it work while it’s working, and when it comes time to make that moral choice to take advantage or not, it does change the parameters of the moral decision.
If you don’t know any better, our culture teaches people that there’s nothing wrong with Love™, as long as it’s safe, and freely chosen, etc. etc. But when you are aware of human nature, then you are bound by the moral principle of natural law.
By demanding that people be left ignorant, Zippy would consign people to sin.
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Amusements are not the only way the Cathedral distracts its victims from their subhuman fate. There’s voting and political action and moral crusades and keeping up with Joneses. Hmmm… maybe they are amusements after all…
Something I’ll be posting about in the near future is the role of “legal” drugs, Prozac, Elavil, Ambien, etc. etc. As soon as someone gets unhappy, drug ’em. A few mass shootings/knifings are a small price to pay.
Currently reading a book about the rise of the Caesars. Masses of economically displaced, unemployed/unemployable men in Rome, small farmers and tradesmen ruined by financial manipulations of oligopolies, and Games to keep them tractable…
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By demanding that people be left ignorant, Zippy would consign people to sin.
Peppermint, what world are you living in? Our society, as it actually exists today, worships sex and power over other human beings. If a secular or religiously squishy (ie. virtually all) love-starved beta becomes knowledgeable and expert in the techniques and practice of Game as the PUA’s frame it, teach it and demonstrate it then he’s virtually guaranteed to fall into a life of sexual sin. Read the comments of the creatures that post at Roissy’s. The combox is littered with those eager to share the fruits of their new-found wisdom.
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” Chesterton’s Fence has evolved to: basically you need irrefutable proof that we no longer need it before tearing it down.” I’m gonna go further and say we need convincing reasons the fence must go, and social experiments&ambition aren’t convincing.
I’m digesting your pointer to me…but briefly…I would contest that America is a nation of Laws not men as a Founding Myth of America. It’s a Founding myth of the New Deal and essential only to the New Deal and it’s Kritarchy. The Founders would have decisively refuted and rejected such, the Constitution and the Declaration aren’t about Laws , and very much about Men.
In the 19th century the Constitution was treated as a [near but not quite sacred] political contract. Of course in those days men seldom needed sacral powers to hold to their word. This is a different world than the 20th century.
Government worship and democracy worship, laws being sacred ..NBS these are founding myths of the 20th century, the New Deal. You don’t see this prior at all, you certainly wouldn’t find it in De Tocqueville for instance.
Try to imagine the 18th century Yankee Traders, Andrew I’m flirting with the Spanish Jackson, or most 19th century Americans fawning devotedly over any President ..that doesn’t begin here until FDR. It began overseas in Europe with the arrival [but not departure] of Woodrow Mischief Wilson.
So now that I’ve objected to Sacral Law as a component of the Founding I’ll digest the rest of “the plan”. Cheers and thanks for shout out to look out here…
And PS they weren’t Founding Myths until the 20th Cen either..cuz they just weren’t cuz…
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OK stream of thoughts: what he is talking about [F/N] might have been possible a hundred gone trillion USD$ ago, and without @vg $1000 T. USD bet on derivatives any given day. Not.Now.
What I mean is they’re hopelessly trapped in the gravity of their own debt singularity [driving all others now] and well past Event Horizon.
In fact it probably stopped being feasible when Clinton privatized and criminalized the govt using rape of Russia as vehicle in the 90s. IOW I’m in favor of the strategy while cautioning that it will probably have to be followed through.
Wanna know who among the few [despite it’s public domain congressional testimony “known” nature this isn’t some gnostic web link] wanna know who nods their heads and agrees most people don’t realize Clinton thoroughly corrupted the government? The NYC Tribesmen. Who make better friends than not BTW. When you’re in as deep as USG, Treasury, the Fed, Finance, Harvard and the rest are and the silent partner is the Russian Mob you’re not gonna de-escalate. However what’s actually amusing [sadistically] is they can’t escalate either for the reasons F/N discusses. As have I and often Sir.
still working thru it…
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Peppermint:
In fairness to Zippy, I don’t think he would consign people to ignorance, but maintains that there are other ways (less well advertised) to gain mastery over (licit) intersexual relationships (which promotes virtue). There probably are, but I haven’t seen them. There seems an special lack of resources, which deal with the kinds of late-arriving disorders with which one is faced with today. I *do* agree however that consignment to ignorance, if it could be established, would be tantamount consignment to greater likelihood of sin.
Andrew:
It is possible that no good may come from reading CH. But it is certain that no good may come from reading his commentariat. I think most of the valuable insights to licit human intersexual relations, with which PUAs are sometimes credited, may easily be gained without reference to any PUA (Hawaii Libertarian, Dalrock, Athol Kay, Donalgraeme, etc. etc.).
Neovic:
looking forward to it.
VXXC:
The American Revolution was, at its very core, a constitutional dispute. A dispute between one set of legalists finding another set insufficiently legalistic. The constitution that these new world legalists set up seemed to go to great lengths to not be dependent upon men. It is a masterpiece of legalist engineering. (Second only to the Talmud in human history I would guess.) Now as clear-eyed Machiavellians it is no surprise to us that the edifice did not last. But to suggest that America was at any time a cult of men and not laws simply beggars my imagination. There is no doubt that the Constitution was poorly treated by FDR (and arguably every president since with increasing impunity). But the dark magic had long lost its power before that. Any reported date of the death of the American Constitutional Republic after 1861 is simply not credible.
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Oh I like this Free Northerner Fellow.
“As Kate always says, failing to show up for a riot is a failed conservative policy. ”
YES. THIS.
And however did the side with all the guns and gunmen get outdone on violence?
Ridiculous. The only Prog rules we play by now are reciprocity. An Iron Law of Conflict.
The only thing I’d add is co-opt the Pro-Guns Name&Shame [and intimidate] bunch immediately.
Get in bed with the NRA people [the organization is the people, you just need them. Anyone can have several memberships in many organizations, just like the Left] get in bed with 2d Amendment crowd right up front.
And be ready; because the difference is the Cathedral actually is cornered now by their own terrible mistakes with money.
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Full disclosure: I am an NRA member. But I do think their principled waving of the “constitution” and heart-rending pleas for “rights” are… well… quaint.
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well, to me, I thought it was odd that I had an easier time getting with women I was less interested in. Not a young White man, but a Pure Individual dislodged from space and time themselves, I sought sex, and I did find it; and perhaps it was the command of my guardian angel that kept me from doing a lot of sexual stuff. That, and a vague sense that there was something missing.
Chateau Heartiste gave me a few troubling pointers to get more sex before I closed the window in horror. I only went back to his site and read more than a few paragraphs long after I started reading Moldbug, after my faith in progressivism was cracked by the Zimmerman show trial.
CH explained why my sex life had been the way it had been (except for the ‘unforced error’ of not taking all that was offered). Along with that understanding comes responsibility: Adam and Eve put clothes on when they understood that they were naked, and once a man knows how to use Game, the question goes from being ‘can I get in bed with this woman’ to ‘should I waste my time, her time, and reduce her sexual market value, for little more than an option to brag, which should not be exercised anyway?’.
The answer actually depends on a man’s station in life. A born beta probably should go ahead and score, and hopefully secure a relationship. An alpha should exercise forbearance: the King to set an example, the nobles to avoid scandal, the knights because their code forbids fornication.
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Wow, Peppermint. I had no idea. That The Call can be heard even among this dreary sonic din never ceases to amaze me. The secular confessional remains a gateway to the sacred one. You are not alone.
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” a cult of men and not laws ” – What I said was it was never a Cult until the New Deal. A country, Patria surely. Law worship and State worship..indeed men worship begins with the New Deal.
I would contest that the Constitution was a legalist triumph. A triumph surely.
We’re not being governed Constitutionally, we’re being governed Administratively. That’s the New Deal as well.
While nothing that men build lasts forever, certainly not governments there was nothing inherently wrong with the Constitution and much that was brilliant and wise. No system withstands the people we have now as elites, no system undoes them. That will require the old ways. They’d love Patchwork for example. YUMMY. DINNER. And everyone of them a Lord. Patchwork isn’t a solution it’s a fucking buffet for our elites.
I think if America leaves you’ll quite miss it BTW, quaint and all.
Meanwhile some Ranchers and Militia humble us all. The Bundy victory today [as of sunday evening April 12] is 100% Murican. Who seem rather attached to their Quaint document, and their not alone.
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okay, who are the elites?
Obama? Sure, let’s see how long he survives as CEO of a Patch. Maybe he could be capable, but, he has no experience.
Alinsky? Ambitious, to be sure, but it takes more than ambition.
Mitt Romney? Sure. He could rule a Patch.
The State Department, PBS, the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, the National Endowment of the Arts, the college professors that are employed thanks to federally backed student loans? How many of those employees will become patch lords, how many of them will keep their jobs in a different structure, how many of them will become unemployable?
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@peppermint,
Who has power now? Well that’s who has power under patchwork unless of course it’s taken from them. For instance House Reid attempted to appropriate some acreage out in Nevada recently to add to it’s fiefdom and… the strangest thing happened. Cowboys and Minutemen appeared as if sprung from the ground.
“but it takes more than ambition.”. Yes. As NRxn bears witness to, it takes the ability to get and keep power. If you’re trying to steer towards competence the only matter one need be competent in is getting and keeping power, as our current situation bears witness as well. As do our aching slave backs. Slavery in our case of course currently being ..mere intimidation. And it doesn’t take much.
Perhaps one could take lessons in Horse Riding or Musketry? As opposed to programming.
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