You continue to persuade me of your distaste for the lumpen. Please, do
not trouble yourself further. I am convinced.
> whether i am helping them out of altruism or self-interest, neurosis or
> not, are more of those metaphysical matters about which i am concerned very
> little. but employing computers to help secure civil and human rights and
> support mental revolutions (and political ones in selected countries) does
> in fact appear to be in my self interest. good human rights environment is
> good for biz. bad environment, bad for biz.
Yes. I know. It is all very clear.
> > This is inadequate: revolutionary action is something you do for your
> > long-term self interest.
> fine then. i'm stumped. what would be adequate?
You may begin with the realization that neither you nor anyone else has a
legitimate long-term interest, and that those who claim to are either
delusional or seeking to bolster their immediate interests at your expense.
Perhaps that can be the foundation of your "mental revolution".
> > >> But, after 02/00, will come the inevitable depression. The repressed, no
> > >> longer able to make reparation for their acts, real and imagined, are
> > >> gonna make Ivan Karamazov look like a saint. That's our opportunity...
> > >listening, motley? as the religious fanatics prepare for the Rapture, we
> > >can loot their businesses with their blessings and a clear conscience.
> > I can't believe you misread me that way.
> then would you be so kind as to pop the cork offa that Private Reserve
> Chateau Eusenet Neus, be a sport, and pour me something a little less
> opaque. who are the ``repressed'' in your opinion. what is ``our'' (or
> your, if you prefer) opportunity.
The word "after" should be considered--after the expectations are
unfulfilled. "Religious fanatics" limits millennialism; it is a
fundamental concept of American culture informing everything from the
Puritan foundation to Manifest Destiny to the futurities of science
fiction to the post-politics and post-industrialisms of the WiReD
ToFfLeRiTeS to environmentalism to etc...
"The repressed" is used colloquially, referring to those who have invested
their energies in millennialism...putting off fulfilling their desires
today in anticipation of a future reward. There is no future reward.
They will not be happy campers.
Their confusion and despair and Karamazovian indulgences are an opportunity
for the thugs to massacre the lot and set up a functioning society. I
mean, *their* hopes and dreams might have come to dust, but the rest of us
have a life...
> > >have you decided for sure that a self-fulfilling prophecy of a millenial
> > >catastrophe is in your self-interest? its not clear to me if it's
> > >inevitable or not, not clear if its in my best interest to try to defuse
> > >it, take advantage of the inevitable, ignore it and it'll go away, or what.
> > >new thread time?
> > I've proposed that millennialism is deeply rooted in our ideology and that
> > the occurence of a new millennium is having a profound psychological effect
> > on our society; that it is enhanced by the condition of novelty -- the
> > hyper-realism of the times, i.e., the tech.
> i've proposed that all sorts of weirdness will happen because of thoroughly
> unaccountable psychological factors pertaining to the turning of a calendar
> page. while paleo-punks may have a field day pickpocketing before 12/31/99
> and openly looting after 1/1/00, its not clear that there is any benefit
> for wireheads in having anything to do with the affair.
I believe the establishment of hermitages and monasteries has been
effective in previous new beginnings.
(__) Sourcerer
/(<>)\ O|O|O|O||O||O "RL is a story told in cyberspace"
\../ |OO|||O|||O|O -- Sweet Poly
|| OO|||OO||O||O
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