As you say, "we used to be good at making physical thing X, now we're bad at it, we should be good again" is a borderline-universal take, with some modest variation in what thing X is. Thiel should recognize that it doesn't make him some esoteric spooky goth genius vampire, he shares it with Frank Sobotka and everybody else
I also like the “representative thinking” idea, and imo it’s one of those spots where horseshoe theory really applies. It’s pretty transparent with a lot of hard-left posters who are basically complaining about “normies”. And I think it ties into the Mamdani discussion—I think this explains some of the online “pro-migrant, anti-transplant” contingent, which is a weird combination of beliefs from first principles
Keep it local: Best advice for Zohran. Also, he can filter out so much bullshit, which mostly comes from the National Media attention. However, the problem for Zohran is that the liberals and leftwing folks around the country are pining for a figure like him. The resistance to Trump 2.0 is weak, as the DNC is headless and is in disarray. Many are trying to center it around Zohran. I am worried he has what it takes.
I absolutely agree that Peter Thiel makes it seem in the interview that other people and socialization are what are holding us back and driving stagnation. The whole interview reads like a deep disatisfaction he's having that there's no more frontier or unexplored land where adventurers could go and carve a kingdom for themselves (at the expense of natives, of course). So they try to create a new frontier (mars) or fantasize about the way to stop all this people from holding them back. I couldn't help thinking while reading that Thiel would be very happy if an apocalypse wiped out most of humanity and allowed him and a couple buddies to play out whatever fantasy they have of roaming around as conquerors of hostile lands. Hence maybe his trouble answering the question of whether humanity should endure.
One of the things I regret Ross Douthat didn't do was bring Thiel to comment the extremely racist reading he gave of his idea of stagnation in other places, for instance here : https://newcriterion.com/article/the-diversity-myth/
Also, Thiel's core beliefs didn't come out to me so much as christianism as what I'd call, for lack of better words, idiot nietzscheism. His framing of the cultural problem ("some transformation of humanity into this more docile kind of a species") is very reminiscent of the "last man" description in Zarathustra. And there would probably be an interesting cross-reading to do between Thiel's Antichrist figure and Nietzsche's Antichrist (Nietzsche's book being an indictement of "slave morals" which he believed to be driven by christianity, as opposed to aristocratic morals, while, interestingly, sparing Jesus from his criticism).
Nice discussion. I was fortunate enough to be in the city last week on primary day and it was an interesting vibe. I don't know if Mamdani's ideas are exportable outside the five boroughs, but he seems a polished politician who happens to be in the right place at the right time. As to the weather---it hit triple digits on primary day---as tough as it was to do touristy stuff and log in 25K steps in that heat---at least I had an air conditioned hotel room to return to---how New Yorkers handle that type of heat without the benefit of A/C is beyond me!
As you say, "we used to be good at making physical thing X, now we're bad at it, we should be good again" is a borderline-universal take, with some modest variation in what thing X is. Thiel should recognize that it doesn't make him some esoteric spooky goth genius vampire, he shares it with Frank Sobotka and everybody else
I also like the “representative thinking” idea, and imo it’s one of those spots where horseshoe theory really applies. It’s pretty transparent with a lot of hard-left posters who are basically complaining about “normies”. And I think it ties into the Mamdani discussion—I think this explains some of the online “pro-migrant, anti-transplant” contingent, which is a weird combination of beliefs from first principles
Not only is this a great discussion, but it made me feel better about hiding inside with the curtains drawn for the last week.
Word! I was hoping you gents would do this.
Keep it local: Best advice for Zohran. Also, he can filter out so much bullshit, which mostly comes from the National Media attention. However, the problem for Zohran is that the liberals and leftwing folks around the country are pining for a figure like him. The resistance to Trump 2.0 is weak, as the DNC is headless and is in disarray. Many are trying to center it around Zohran. I am worried he has what it takes.
I absolutely agree that Peter Thiel makes it seem in the interview that other people and socialization are what are holding us back and driving stagnation. The whole interview reads like a deep disatisfaction he's having that there's no more frontier or unexplored land where adventurers could go and carve a kingdom for themselves (at the expense of natives, of course). So they try to create a new frontier (mars) or fantasize about the way to stop all this people from holding them back. I couldn't help thinking while reading that Thiel would be very happy if an apocalypse wiped out most of humanity and allowed him and a couple buddies to play out whatever fantasy they have of roaming around as conquerors of hostile lands. Hence maybe his trouble answering the question of whether humanity should endure.
One of the things I regret Ross Douthat didn't do was bring Thiel to comment the extremely racist reading he gave of his idea of stagnation in other places, for instance here : https://newcriterion.com/article/the-diversity-myth/
Also, Thiel's core beliefs didn't come out to me so much as christianism as what I'd call, for lack of better words, idiot nietzscheism. His framing of the cultural problem ("some transformation of humanity into this more docile kind of a species") is very reminiscent of the "last man" description in Zarathustra. And there would probably be an interesting cross-reading to do between Thiel's Antichrist figure and Nietzsche's Antichrist (Nietzsche's book being an indictement of "slave morals" which he believed to be driven by christianity, as opposed to aristocratic morals, while, interestingly, sparing Jesus from his criticism).
Eh, rereading the Thiel piece linked I realize he talked about Nietzsche in it.
I wonder what Peter would think of this painting: https://www.wikiart.org/en/william-adolphe-bouguereau/equality-before-death-1848
Nice discussion. I was fortunate enough to be in the city last week on primary day and it was an interesting vibe. I don't know if Mamdani's ideas are exportable outside the five boroughs, but he seems a polished politician who happens to be in the right place at the right time. As to the weather---it hit triple digits on primary day---as tough as it was to do touristy stuff and log in 25K steps in that heat---at least I had an air conditioned hotel room to return to---how New Yorkers handle that type of heat without the benefit of A/C is beyond me!