/history/

Updike's Rabbit.... 2mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 7.4 7.4 0.5 0.5

Updike's Rabbit.... (view hidden) log in to judge received 7.4 7.4 0.5 0.5

I find PBS/NPR/Frontline governance aesthetic better than Silicon Valley hype. 1mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 2.7 2.7

I find PBS/NPR/Front (view hidden) log in to judge received 2.7 2.7

Broader Western aesthetic decline is an separate question.... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 18.3 18.3

Broader Western aest (view hidden) log in to judge received 18.3 18.3

I've been enjoying the "greco futurism" work from Peniche. He should post more of that here. It's high tech, humanistic, warm, aspirational, luxury, grand, western, traditional, archeofuturistic. I agree we've got to kill cyberpunk. It's just dystopian and... 8mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 16.9 16.9

I've been enjoying t (view hidden) log in to judge received 16.9 16.9

My friends, this is retarded. Never go full retard.... 2mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 5.7 5.7

My friends, this is (view hidden) log in to judge received 5.7 5.7

Would Germany have de-cartelized its economy and developed an economic system capable of competing with the United States? It’s possible, but the German antipathy towards capital, banking, and dog-eat-dog competition makes it unlikely. That said, if Chin... 3mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 13.0 13.0

Would Germany have d (view hidden) log in to judge received 13.0 13.0

I have not read his book on NS but his book "The Agony of Polemos" was a very good effort at linking Greek Presocratics -> Nietzsche -> Heidegger. 2mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 3.4 3.4

I have not read his (view hidden) log in to judge received 3.4 3.4

As far as pre-war movies are concerned, a lot feels dated but La Grande Illusion (The Grand Illusion) feels very fresh and very well-done.... 3mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 5.0 5.0

As far as pre-war mo (view hidden) log in to judge received 5.0 5.0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NationBuilder 4mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 3.1 3.1

https://en.wikipedia (view hidden) log in to judge received 3.1 3.1

Weak winners are doing far more damage than weak losers. The latter you will always have with you, the former is an anomaly that emerges only at very few times in history and always as a very bad sign. 6mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 3.8 3.8

Weak winners are doi (view hidden) log in to judge received 3.8 3.8

I’ll the peripheral argument about the nature of the Chinese first.... 8mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 9.6 9.6 0.1 0.1

I’ll the peripheral (view hidden) log in to judge received 9.6 9.6 0.1 0.1

It's straightforward enough to create nouns or other concepts from (Classical) Chinese ad nauseum. The whole point during the Meiji Restoration was to have words that were from the West but had no previous equivalent.... 8mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 2.2 2.2

It's straightforward (view hidden) log in to judge received 2.2 2.2

Very interesting, looking forward to reading this. I suspect yoga asanas do have some roots in ancient Vedic Kshatriya combat training culture along with grappling, archery, etc. but all that has been long diluted along with Indian civilization in general.... 8mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 1.6 1.6

Very interesting, lo (view hidden) log in to judge received 1.6 1.6

Very much agree with this perspective. However insightful the essay is, I think the author is ghey. While not overly important I do think it clouds his judgement in terms of the importance of the erotic dimension of male bonding.... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 13.4 13.4

Very much agree with (view hidden) log in to judge received 13.4 13.4

Pretty sure homoerotic behavior (whether involving actual sex or not) does not contribute to, but poisons and degrades, male groups and friendships.... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 15.1 15.1

Pretty sure homoerot (view hidden) log in to judge received 15.1 15.1

Men used to form friendships through hunting, building, fighting, and working together—activities that were necessary for survival and building anything meaningful. You trusted other men because your livelihood depended on it. Sure, some abused that trus... 8mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 2.4 2.4 0.1 0.1

Men used to form fri (view hidden) log in to judge received 2.4 2.4 0.1 0.1

Let's do the opposite of that. An animal raised with dignity, slaughtered openly in the name of the gods, eaten with austerity and pride. 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 13.4 13.4 0.2 0.2

Let's do the opposit (view hidden) log in to judge received 13.4 13.4 0.2 0.2

I was too unserious in this post and unfortunately that killed its legitimacy. I was reminded of it by >>3722. There remains a big question at the center of any of our serious political thought, one which Nick Land loosely gestures at in the analysis above... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 9.5 9.5

I was too unserious (view hidden) log in to judge received 9.5 9.5

I mostly don't disagree but this kind of thinking in particular is the "prussian insanity" referred to by >>3896 that caused NS to lose. We've have discussions before about how they had no external legitimacy even if it was internally coherent, because the... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 7.3 7.3

I mostly don't disag (view hidden) log in to judge received 7.3 7.3

I think Avetis Muradyan has good taste. I think his conclusion is right, even if I would get there in a different way. I wish that MFA students were the sorts of communists that Walter Benjamin was talking about. I wish that we had the sort of fascist art ... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 8.9 8.9

I think Avetis Murad (view hidden) log in to judge received 8.9 8.9

Of course I agree with this. It can be rephrased thus: it is on the artists and intellectuals themselves to fund the cultural restoration, because the capitalists aren't going to help until we've already won. At best they will buy pieces once their merit i... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 6.0 6.0

Of course I agree wi (view hidden) log in to judge received 6.0 6.0

Those examples are all textual and also in the context of modern archeology, which as BLT says is transient. It's not that it doesn't draw on archeology for access to texts, it's that archeology as a whole field isn't sustained by that process, and the soc... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 7.7 7.7

Those examples are a (view hidden) log in to judge received 7.7 7.7

Yes, the general pattern has been that civilizations rise and fall, but technology gets better over time. There are local tech regressions like the Bronze Age Collapse and the fall of Rome—but even the darkest of the post-Roman Dark Ages had much better ... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 4.7 4.7

Yes, the general pat (view hidden) log in to judge received 4.7 4.7

Instead of suggesting changes on the national level, which I don't believe any of us have control over, let's turn this into practical advice for people reading the thread. If we should ban seed oils, we should not consume seed oils, if the FDA should end ... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 11.9 11.9

Instead of suggestin (view hidden) log in to judge received 11.9 11.9

Ray peat website has best articles on PUFA aka seed oils.... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 0.2 0.2

Ray peat website has (view hidden) log in to judge received 0.2 0.2

Wordy and pretty mid article. The sort of wordcel political commentariat slop I dislike reading. But there are always interesting questions amongst the slop that we can continue discussing. Here's one: does Elon's outburst deserve harsh political punishmen... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 9.7 9.7

Wordy and pretty mid (view hidden) log in to judge received 9.7 9.7

I'd be happy to take the opposite side of that bet. A far more obvious explanation is that Elon is a bit autistic, and while very high IQ and high energy, he's also lacking in practical wisdom in many areas, including politics.... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 11.1 11.1

I'd be happy to take (view hidden) log in to judge received 11.1 11.1

I would've recommended Bradford, but that sourcebook also looks great. Anything with Perry Miller's name on it is quite worth reading, especially something like a compendium. He's a giant. Skimming through the table of contents, I'd actually be quite inter... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 6.1 6.1

I would've recommend (view hidden) log in to judge received 6.1 6.1

This was depressingly lucid. Canada is fucking toast, in all likelihood it will never recover. Your post is more like a post-mortem. It's consistent with >>2964 in the Canadian context. Brazil to the South, Brazil inside, Brazil to the North. The two most ... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 10.7 10.7

This was depressingl (view hidden) log in to judge received 10.7 10.7

Its a good question, I'd need to think about it. I have never followed Canadian politics closely but there's little hope except for Alberta and Quebec to gain some form of Nationhood ... the rest of the state doesn't exist as a nation in any meaningful sen... 9mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 9.6 9.6

Its a good question, (view hidden) log in to judge received 9.6 9.6

This is degrowth.... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 10.9 10.9

This is degrowth.... (view hidden) log in to judge received 10.9 10.9

My understanding is that the biggest cities have always been fertility-negative on average for as long as we've had cities. But you are right that the most civilized types of men are the result of city-related selection. So what's going on? Would first of ... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 2.9 2.9

My understanding is (view hidden) log in to judge received 2.9 2.9

Very interesting anon, I think you are on to something. However I'd like a point of clarification. You say that... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 8.0 8.0

Very interesting ano (view hidden) log in to judge received 8.0 8.0

An important feature of the theoretical approach in The Evolution of Civilizations is that it looks at changes over very long timescales, and glosses over anything which doesn't endure for at least half a century.... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 9.9 9.9

An important feature (view hidden) log in to judge received 9.9 9.9

**Background on evolution by punctuated equilibrium**... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 12.4 12.4

**Background on evol (view hidden) log in to judge received 12.4 12.4

Another interesting paper investigating the genetic effect of capital punishment in medieval and early modern Europe. It show that the large drop in murder rate from the 14th to 20th century was, at least in part, a result of genetic selection against prop... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 6.9 6.9

Another interesting (view hidden) log in to judge received 6.9 6.9

What explicitly happened is that Western elites decided on a different megaproject: global race communism. The "Great Society" and "Global Development." That is where all this wasted money is going. Today, you can call this a political arrangement that can... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 15.9 15.9

What explicitly happ (view hidden) log in to judge received 15.9 15.9

As a matter of historical fact, the communism part came first, then later the race part was added, and then the global part was added. 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 3.5 3.5

As a matter of histo (view hidden) log in to judge received 3.5 3.5

The elimination of the upper class as a self-conscious, self-contained entity is definitely part of it, both in Europe and in certain parts of America. You did have the transition from an aristocracy based on the ownership of productive land towards a more... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 7.8 7.8

The elimination of t (view hidden) log in to judge received 7.8 7.8

This will become especially true if we do end up with low-grade speciation from either some kind of genetic tampering or selective breeding between the elite. Already, you could argue that selection mechanisms in the West have led to a sort of situation li... 10mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 4.8 4.8

This will become esp (view hidden) log in to judge received 4.8 4.8

Let's not confuse relative changes with absolute numbers. For example, that map makes it look like California might have been competitive, but in fact Harris won California by a huge margin, 58% to Trump's 38%. 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 10.6 10.6

Let's not confuse re (view hidden) log in to judge received 10.6 10.6

ah sneaky sneaky. Nevermind deepfakes. We have the New York Times. So this is not absolute change, but relative to overall shift. So that means that the blue shift in the rural areas is fake, but the red shift in cities is real and even bigger than they ar... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 5.1 5.1

ah sneaky sneaky. Ne (view hidden) log in to judge received 5.1 5.1

In the context of Nietzsche's essay, "historicality" refers precisely to when a civilization/people emerges from acting freely, or, uninhibited by a variety of historical phenomena—ancestral worship, rigid moral tradition, and so forth. Perhaps in other ... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 4.0 4.0

In the context of Ni (view hidden) log in to judge received 4.0 4.0

Mostly agreed but I think this goes beyond an academic exercise. I think there are universal structures that one can discover in history, and this applies to the concept of civilization (which I tried to draw out explicitly and implicitly), which can then ... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 6.9 6.9

Mostly agreed but I (view hidden) log in to judge received 6.9 6.9

I don't think that I am missing the point nor do I disagree with you. It is necessary both to be abstract and concrete. You see pundits talking about high minded ideals like "defending Western civilization", making sure "Civilization doesn't collapse", pre... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 3.7 3.7

I don't think that I (view hidden) log in to judge received 3.7 3.7

Peter Turchin develops Ibn Khaldoun's concept of asabiya (roughly social cohesion--the feeling of solidarity and capacity for collective action) which in agrarian states he claims is cultivated on meta ethnic frontiers, that is border regions of establishe... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 12.6 12.6

Peter Turchin develo (view hidden) log in to judge received 12.6 12.6

I have skimmed it but will give it a more thorough read. While I appreciate Spengler (I understand Yockey has a spenglerian approach) I don't know how illuminating he is for our time. There is a failure to explain what makes cultures/civilizations tick (wh... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 4.8 4.8

I have skimmed it bu (view hidden) log in to judge received 4.8 4.8

I think the key problem is that in mr Burja's "empire theory" terminology, you are describing a decentralized declining empire, but what we actually have is a centralized declining empire. In decentralized decline, pieces break off and become free of the f... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 11.3 11.3

I think the key prob (view hidden) log in to judge received 11.3 11.3

We see it already with today's tech companies, to an extent: the US government shuts down nuclear power plants while GOOGL and MSFT plan on building their own nuclear power plants, facilitating their respective AGI plans.... 11mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 3.5 3.5

We see it already wi (view hidden) log in to judge received 3.5 3.5

I am very skeptical of accelerationist hopes where there is some kind of social-political reset or resurgence of the virtuous possibilities via metaphorical bankruptcy of "the system". I think de Gobineau's demographic hypothesis on civilization is more pl... 12mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 9.7 9.7

I am very skeptical (view hidden) log in to judge received 9.7 9.7

https://german.yale.edu/sites/default/files/meister-eckhart-maurice-o-c-walshe-bernard-mcginn-the-complete-mystical-works-of-meister-eckhart-the-crossroad-publishing-company-2009.pdf 12mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 4.0 4.0

https://german.yale. (view hidden) log in to judge received 4.0 4.0

That sounds plausible to an economist, but "opportunity cost" is about what you value and how you narrativize the alternatives. It's not quite as simple as "people would rather have money than children", it's rather a whole lifestyle and worldview they've ... 12mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 10.3 10.3

That sounds plausibl (view hidden) log in to judge received 10.3 10.3

Thank you for the breath of fresh air. I wholly agree that status is not the most important factor. The economic arguments seem completely unconvincing as it doesn't explain how in terms of "leisure time, space, and childcare help" the average person was m... 12mo ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 8.8 8.8

Thank you for the br (view hidden) log in to judge received 8.8 8.8

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 0.2 0.2

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ... (view hidden) log in to judge received 0.2 0.2

I am not certain intelligence in the anthropocentric sense is what makes for civilization. I think dolphins are missing specialization among themselves. In this way, I’d see beehives or ant colonies as more likely to hit on the special sauce than dolphin... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 8.5 8.5

I am not certain int (view hidden) log in to judge received 8.5 8.5

There will be space for many different species and subspecies of cetaceans, and therefore many kinds of dolphin culture, in our civilization. For instance, the Yangtze River dolphin and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin occupy different ecological niches. Resp... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 2.3 2.3

There will be space (view hidden) log in to judge received 2.3 2.3

Agree with the above.... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 7.1 7.1

Agree with the above (view hidden) log in to judge received 7.1 7.1

There are two kinds of democracy that need to be refuted: most urgently of course this lie that western regimes are or even are supposed to be democratic. Lies everywhere must be destroyed, and you are correct that we live under administrative oligarchy le... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 5.6 5.6

There are two kinds (view hidden) log in to judge received 5.6 5.6

Maybe I'll run a series of threads to read and discuss Tragedy and Hope, or Weapons Systems, depending on interest and on my schedule. Both are big, dense tomes, but rewarding. Who here would be committed enough to do the reading? Anyone have a preference ... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 7.6 7.6

Maybe I'll run a ser (view hidden) log in to judge received 7.6 7.6

I just bought, but have not yet started, Tragedy and Hope, so that one would have my vote. 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 0.9 0.9

I just bought, but h (view hidden) log in to judge received 0.9 0.9

I was going to say the English Civil War seemed like one of the first big blows for liberalism. The Peace also seems relevant. In any case the point stands: maybe study the historical genealogy of our own system. But if I can refine the prompt somewhat, I'... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 8.2 8.2

I was going to say t (view hidden) log in to judge received 8.2 8.2

I wanted to select OP's refinement of the prompt for the newcomers. My interpretation of this prompt is that we want to determine what is important to us, and I think that would start with understanding what the ideological foundations of our current regim... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 5.2 5.2

I wanted to select O (view hidden) log in to judge received 5.2 5.2

In everyone's favorite family-owned city-state, one sometimes encounters locals with recognizably Portuguese family names such as Pereira, Theseira (Teixeira), Gomes. I only considered the origin of these names much later when exploring the legacy of Roman... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 6.7 6.7

In everyone's favori (view hidden) log in to judge received 6.7 6.7

Indeed. The difference between what seems possible according to the world of ideas and what actually is possible is potentially large and always the essence of the game. This is why I'm not sure we can put too much stock in the "it can't reference or be mi... 2y ago (collapse hidden) log in to judge received 4.1 4.1

Indeed. The differen (view hidden) log in to judge received 4.1 4.1