Conspirituality

Bonus Sample: Manners, the Machine, and Malaparte’s Technique de Coup d’État

Feb 24, 2025

The discussion dives into the dual nature of contemporary fascism, highlighting its ideological aesthetics and technocratic elements. It contrasts trolls' far-right beliefs with their coding skills. A century-old fascist thesis is unpacked, emphasizing the importance of controlling the 'machine' in a coup d'état. There's a critical look at how liberal discourse on manners distracts from the realities of power and capital. The conversation sheds light on the challenges of navigating social media dynamics and their impact on societal values.

06:05

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights how contemporary fascism emerges from the interplay of ideological aesthetics and technocratic power, reflecting societal values and leadership challenges.

It emphasizes that liberal discourse often gets distracted by debates on manners, avoiding deeper analysis of the systemic issues driving far-right ideologies.

Deep dives

Emergence of Fascism in Modern Context

The discussion highlights the emergence of fascism in contemporary society, particularly through the actions and rhetoric of prominent figures such as Elon Musk. His viral poll regarding the rehiring of a controversial individual underscores a phenomenon where public attention is directed toward sensationalized debates about victimhood and cancellation, diverting focus from systemic issues like far-right ideologies. This duality of distraction not only reflects a preoccupation with individual narratives but also obscures deeper structural changes associated with a technocratic coup. As public discourse becomes embroiled in the aesthetics of fascism, it raises critical questions about societal values and the nature of leadership in today’s political landscape.

Controversies and Conversations: The Intersection of Racism and Social Media Dynamics

2min

Exploring the Dual Nature of Contemporary Fascism

4min

What do we worry more about: the far-right beliefs of trolls, or the coding skills of the trolls?

The split focus on Marco Elez and Elon Musk—are they Nazis, or hackers, or Nazi hackers?— highlight two prongs of emergent fascism. The ideological/aesthetic/psychological on one side, and the technocratic on the other. We can call them the manners and the machine.

First, Matthew unpacks a century-old thesis by an OG fascist that says totalitarian regimes take shape when both are working together, but that ultimately, the coup d’etat is about seizing control of the machine.

Then he rounds off with a rant about how easy it is liberal-centrist discourse about manners to distract from the reality of the machine. Why? It’s because in the absence of a clear analysis of how capital and power work—it’s in the sphere of manners—that liberals feel they have a fighting chance. But it’s also exactly where Musk and Elez and Vance and Trump can ignore them.

Show Notes

A Doomed Democracy | STANFORD magazine

The October Revolution - Introduction | Marx Memorial Library

Alexander Kerensky Dies Here at 89 - The New York Times

Curzio Malaparte | Italian Author, Journalist & Politician | Britannica

Reading the Eccentric Italian Writer Who Tried to Cover Up His Fascism ‹ Literary Hub

Curzio Malaparte: The Illusion of the Fascist Revolution

The Californian Ideology

The Californian Ideology Personified - Truthdig

Cyberlibertarianism: The Right-Wing Politics of Digital Technology on JSTOR

175: Diagonalism (w/William Callison and Quinn Slobodian) — Conspirituality

Opinion | Don’t Believe Him - The New York Times