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Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

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Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#51

Post by UncleOxidant »

runako wrote: post #25
A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #18

I mentioned this previously, but I frequently think back to Gibson's "Jackpot" -- a cross-lashed, polycausal catastrophe: Lots of bad little things accumulating, building up a certain momentum. I think that even as far back as 2009, an astute observer would have noticed that society is beginning to burn through its seed corn. In some places, things are now getting extremely acute: https://www.neilobrien.co.uk/p/the-c…

> society is beginning to burn through its seed corn This is mostly true in the US, where a defining characteristic of the population is a belief that we cannot do better or have more, that things will always continue to get worse, and that everyone is out to take advantage of you all the time. Other countries continue to invest in the future. China, among others, do not suffer the current American fatalism.

> in the US, where a defining characteristic of the population is a belief... that everyone is out to take advantage of you all the time.

I mean, living in 2025 America that's not a bad default assumption to make, is it? By default when the solar salesman (or pest control salesman) comes to the door I consider it a scam because it generally is (same for phone sales, and most internet ads). Is everything a scam? No. But lots of things are and it's best to have your defenses up.

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#52

Post by colechristensen »

A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #44
sitkack wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He's foppish and playful more than he is scary. This is a very unwise stance to take. Peter Thiel has teamed up with the Heritage Foundation to implement this plan. This is why A16Z and Musk put Trump in power, it is precisely to implement this plan.

Musk is on the outs. And what if there is no grand conspiracy? We're extremely far from any of Yarvin's "plans" at any rate. Yarvin's most cherished plan was to create a shadow university called the "Antiversity" -- a sort of repository of all truths unbeholden to politics and fads. Is this a bad idea? Which other Yarvin ideas scare you so?

>"Antiversity" -- a sort of repository of all truths unbeholden to politics and fads. Is this a bad idea?

It's not an idea in good faith. The people talking the loudest about political bias and trends being "wrong" are very much more likely to be extremely biased and following fads themselves.

If you actually cared about unbaised truths you'd be having good faith debates and be open to critical interpretation.

But the people complaining about political bias &c. are actually complaining that their bias isn't the dominant one.

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#53

Post by sjsdaiuasgdia »

A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #44
sitkack wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He's foppish and playful more than he is scary. This is a very unwise stance to take. Peter Thiel has teamed up with the Heritage Foundation to implement this plan. This is why A16Z and Musk put Trump in power, it is precisely to implement this plan.

Musk is on the outs. And what if there is no grand conspiracy? We're extremely far from any of Yarvin's "plans" at any rate. Yarvin's most cherished plan was to create a shadow university called the "Antiversity" -- a sort of repository of all truths unbeholden to politics and fads. Is this a bad idea? Which other Yarvin ideas scare you so?

> Musk is on the outs.

Musk "left" government the day before his government employment would reach a length threshold requiring a lot more paperwork and transparency.

Trump presented Musk with a ceremonial key to the White House.

Musk has made some recent statements about the "big beautiful bill" that could be seen as an actual policy break with Trump. With that, he's aligned to GOP politicians who feel the bill doesn't cut enough taxes and/or spending. And he's still very much in the conversation.

Musk is not on the outs. That's just kayfabe.

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#54

Post by ceejayoz »

A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #44
sitkack wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He's foppish and playful more than he is scary. This is a very unwise stance to take. Peter Thiel has teamed up with the Heritage Foundation to implement this plan. This is why A16Z and Musk put Trump in power, it is precisely to implement this plan.

Musk is on the outs. And what if there is no grand conspiracy? We're extremely far from any of Yarvin's "plans" at any rate. Yarvin's most cherished plan was to create a shadow university called the "Antiversity" -- a sort of repository of all truths unbeholden to politics and fads. Is this a bad idea? Which other Yarvin ideas scare you so?

> And what if there is no grand conspiracy?

You did the thing!

"'How dangerous is it that we are being linked?' Thiel wrote to Yarvin in 2014. “One reassuring thought: one of our hidden advantages is that these people”—social-justice warriors—'wouldn’t believe in a conspiracy if it hit them over the head (this is perhaps the best measure of the decline of the Left). Linkages make them sound really crazy, and they kinda know it.'"

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#55

Post by JoshTriplett »

antisthenes wrote: post #12

It's pretty sad that loonies like this get a platform at all. The ultimate irony is that New Yorker in this case is writing an article about him, mocking his views...yet legitimizing them at the same time by associating their name with this kind of person at all. How is this guy different from any other of the thousands moderately-successful tech people with an obscure hobby project (Urbit). Just because of his far-o…

When someone is obscure and wrong, sometimes it's better to avoid amplifying them even through refutation.

When someone is popular-with-people-in-power and wrong, sunlight is an important disinfectant.

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#56

Post by ModernMech »

UncleOxidant wrote: post #51
runako wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> society is beginning to burn through its seed corn This is mostly true in the US, where a defining characteristic of the population is a belief that we cannot do better or have more, that things will always continue to get worse, and that everyone is out to take advantage of you all the time. Other countries continue to invest in the future. China, among others, do not suffer the current American fatalism.

> in the US, where a defining characteristic of the population is a belief... that everyone is out to take advantage of you all the time. I mean, living in 2025 America that's not a bad default assumption to make, is it? By default when the solar salesman (or pest control salesman) comes to the door I consider it a scam because it generally is (same for phone sales, and most internet ads). Is everything a scam? No. B…

It's a self fulfilling prophecy. When you believe others are out to take advantage of you, you can justify taking advantage of others, which causes them to believe others are out to take advantage of them. So on and so forth. Those who resist this cycle are labeled "naive".

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#57

Post by ryeats »

runako wrote: post #25
A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #18

I mentioned this previously, but I frequently think back to Gibson's "Jackpot" -- a cross-lashed, polycausal catastrophe: Lots of bad little things accumulating, building up a certain momentum. I think that even as far back as 2009, an astute observer would have noticed that society is beginning to burn through its seed corn. In some places, things are now getting extremely acute: https://www.neilobrien.co.uk/p/the-c…

> society is beginning to burn through its seed corn This is mostly true in the US, where a defining characteristic of the population is a belief that we cannot do better or have more, that things will always continue to get worse, and that everyone is out to take advantage of you all the time. Other countries continue to invest in the future. China, among others, do not suffer the current American fatalism.

This is not true. Your rose colored glasses of Chinese culture, and the current state of Chinese economy and society need a reality check.

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#58

Post by 9283409232 »

antithesizer wrote: post #8

They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel for weird right-wing gurus/boogie men these days. Nick Land where have you gone? Your house is in disarray.

JD Vance is a Yarvin devotee and has repeatedly given credibility to his ideas. Good thing JD Vance is a nobody and doesn't have a position of power.

Re: Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America

#60

Post by lcnPylGDnU4H9OF »

nehal3m wrote: post #6
twiddling wrote: post #2

[flagged]

I don't think this even is their final form...

I think it is. This stood out to me:

> As his ideas have been surrealized in DOGE and Trump has taken to self-identifying as a king, one might expect to find Yarvin in an exultant mood. In fact, he has spent the past few months fretting that the moment will go to waste. “If you have a Trump boner right now, enjoy it,” he wrote two days after the election. “It’s as hard as you’ll ever get.” What many see as the most dangerous assault on American democracy in the nation’s history Yarvin dismisses as woefully insufficient—a “vibes coup.” Without a full-blown autocratic takeover, he believes, a backlash is sure to follow.

And I don't think he's wrong; the longer it takes for the reality of a takeover to manifest, the less likely it is to happen.

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