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Damir Marusic's avatar

Great stuff, Sam. Just dropping this here for other people’s edification: https://x.com/functi0nzer0/status/1826688962393419873?s=46&t=wa-d7M2vQBEBdMljomEt6Q

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Sam Mace's avatar

genuinely beautiful writing- almost a novelisation of philosophy is going on here in my mind. On the question of will things hold I'm at times quite skeptical. Watching a documentary on the January 6th riots this afternoon while doing some work made me nervous as to how hucksters can take advantage of those on the edge of dreams and into fantasy. That is where the values which Pinker asserts gives some hope for the continuation of a stale but stable status quo.

The growing interest in Nietzsche and wider existentialism definitely makes me think you're right about the dyke's borders overflowing somewhat. There is a demand for more flesh and blood in our politics at the edges at least far away from the technocratic 'it's the economy stupid' advise Clinton received in 1992. Reading Edward Fawcett's history of liberalism makes me think liberalism is not so good at this type of politics, rather, it is a philosophy designed to rise above such feelings of politics. Perhaps somewhat fearful of what may be unleashed but also skeptical of progress without sufficient guardrails in place.

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