Brilliant. The writing has an impressive stride. But what do you mean "And this is where history returns"? I thought you might suggest that any time when ignorance meets ubiquity violent schisms occur, which might realign priorities. Instead, you say everything has progressed, but nothing has changed. A whole hell of a lot has changed: culture has flatlined and is "unliving"; work has become a mindless performance equivalent to taking out the trash; people have become the servile audience of the narcissistic overclass: did Apple know that the screen from which the overlord shouts at the grey masses would be manufactured by them? ETC. It's horrific and everything you carefully and fluently depict; to have concluded so abruptly seemed false.
I'm thinking in terms of plus ça change. Everything has indeed changed, but the fundamentals of human nature haven't and they never will. We've progressed the surface elements only, hence our celebration of 'the first' this and 'world-first' that.
The End of History, in terms of the broad umbrella of 1990s narcissistic delusion, claimed to have abolished this notion of plus ça change. Yet, almost every false truism from that era (one which we haven't yet left) has crumbled beneath reality. History, then, returns.
We are definitely haunted by the 90s—the liberal zenith!!! My parents are Boomers, graduated college in ‘68. I always say that lot is stuck in 1968 and 1998, their Alpha and Omega.
Brilliant. The writing has an impressive stride. But what do you mean "And this is where history returns"? I thought you might suggest that any time when ignorance meets ubiquity violent schisms occur, which might realign priorities. Instead, you say everything has progressed, but nothing has changed. A whole hell of a lot has changed: culture has flatlined and is "unliving"; work has become a mindless performance equivalent to taking out the trash; people have become the servile audience of the narcissistic overclass: did Apple know that the screen from which the overlord shouts at the grey masses would be manufactured by them? ETC. It's horrific and everything you carefully and fluently depict; to have concluded so abruptly seemed false.
I'm thinking in terms of plus ça change. Everything has indeed changed, but the fundamentals of human nature haven't and they never will. We've progressed the surface elements only, hence our celebration of 'the first' this and 'world-first' that.
The End of History, in terms of the broad umbrella of 1990s narcissistic delusion, claimed to have abolished this notion of plus ça change. Yet, almost every false truism from that era (one which we haven't yet left) has crumbled beneath reality. History, then, returns.
Thanks for reading, mate.
We are definitely haunted by the 90s—the liberal zenith!!! My parents are Boomers, graduated college in ‘68. I always say that lot is stuck in 1968 and 1998, their Alpha and Omega.
Ah ha! This is the last paragraph I was looking for. Thanks.
Consider this addition a bespoke gift to you.
Also: I liked that piece on 'Militant Observer.' Do another.
Thanks for both.
By far the best on substack....almost makes me want to pay him
Tripleplusgood!
"...insists every utterance ape an epileptic seizure."
Hahaha...
That's good. Very good.