Manifesto!

Episode 12: Accelerationism and Big Sex Object Mirrorfaces

Feb 28, 2019

The hosts explore accelerationism, its contradictory meanings, and the role of human agency. They discuss leftist critiques of global challenges and the use of tools like social network analysis. The goals of accelerationism are examined, including media reform and reconstituting class power. They analyze a video of a faceless sex symbol in Myrtle Beach and discuss objectification and dehumanization. They explore the thin veneer of civilization and the influence of collective intelligence on human behavior.

01:33:28

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Quick takeaways

Accelerationism seeks to navigate the possibilities presented by the acceleration of technology and social structures.

Left accelerationism challenges the constraints of neoliberal capitalism and emphasizes modernity's abstraction, complexity, globality, and technology.

The dual nature of accelerationism highlights the left's focus on reclaiming human agency and the right's perspective on the dehumanizing effects of technology.

Deep dives

Accelerationism as a Political Philosophy

Accelerationism is a political philosophy rooted in the idea of modernity as an ever-increasing rate of change in material, social, and technological realities. It originated from a mix of cybernetics and left-wing ideologies. The main premise is that capitalism, particularly neoliberalism, has produced a sterilized political imagination, hindering the ability to envision radical change. Some proponents argue for embracing the networked, globalized aspect of modern capitalism, while others critique the emphasis on identity politics and advocate for a return to leftist principles. Overall, accelerationism seeks to navigate and experiment within the possibilities presented by the acceleration of technology and social structures.

Introduction

3min

Accelerationism and Its Contradictory Meanings

12min

Breakdown of the Planetary Climate System and Leftist Critiques

20min

Accelerationist Politics and Tools for Understanding Complex Systems

11min

The Goals of Accelerationism: Building Infrastructure, Media Reform, and Class Power

28min

Mirror Face Takes Myrtle Beach

8min

The Disturbing Incident in Myrtle Beach

5min

The Thin Veneer of Civilization

4min

Collective Intelligence, Distorted Realities, and Overlapping Factors

2min

10.

Justification for Primitive Passions, Listener Feedback, and Clothing Descriptions

3min

Jake and Phil discuss several accelerationist manifestos along with the video American Reflexxx, by Alli Coates and Signe Pierce.

Works referenced:

Nick Land, A Quick and Dirty Introduction to Accelerationism
https://jacobitemag.com/2017/05/25/a-quick-and-dirty-introduction-to-accelerationism/

Joseph Lawrence, “A Fable”
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/25/a-fable-poems-lawrence-joseph

Lewis Thomas, “On Societies as Organisms”
https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM197107082850207

Alex Williams and Nick Srnicek, #accelerate Manifesto
http://criticallegalthinking.com/2013/05/14/accelerate-manifesto-for-an-accelerationist-politics/

William James, “The Will to Believe”
https://www.mnsu.edu/philosophy/THEWILLTOBELIEVEbyJames.pdf

Ethan Kapstein, “Workers and the World Economy: Breaking the Post-War Bargain”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/1996-05-01/workers-and-world-economy-breaking-postwar-bargain

Jacob Siegel, “Fully Automated Culture War”
https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/279430/fully-automated-culture-war

Adam Curtis, HyperNormalization
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04b183c

Friedrich Hayek, “The Use of Knowledge in Society”
https://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/hykKnw.html

The Economist, “Slowbalisation”
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/01/24/the-steam-has-gone-out-of-globalisation

Karl Bunker, “They Have All One Breath” (this is the Clarkesworld story whose title Phil couldn’t recall)
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio_01_19f/

Joseph Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy
https://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Socialism-Democracy-Perennial-Thought/dp/0061561614

AltWoke Manifesto
http://tripleampersand.org/alt-woke-manifesto/

Aria Dean, Notes on Blacceleration
https://www.e-flux.com/journal/87/169402/notes-on-blacceleration/

Toure Reed, “Between Obama and Coates”
https://catalyst-journal.com/vol1/no4/between-obama-and-coates

Jacob Siegel, “Send Anarchists, Guns, and Money”
https://thebaffler.com/salvos/anarchists-guns-and-money-siegel

Alli Coates and Signe Pierce, American Reflexxx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXn1xavynj8

Helen Andrews, “Shame Storm”
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2019/01/shame-storm

Video Clips

Hail, Caesar!
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b1cfd96f-c637-4005-a42b-b3a108e67306

Christina Aguilera, “Accelerate”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSRSgMp5X1w

3D Printed Guns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DconsfGsXyA&t=917s

Robert Pinsky reciting "Shirt"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI8DvfM0VCs