08-01-2023, 07:41 PM
My thoughts concerning some of the most promising ideas that have been discussed here and elsewhere.
Wag-ner and Prigo’s recent actions in the ongoing war in Europe are proof of concept for what a genuine manifestation of the “classical man” might be able to accomplish in the future using PMCs. What can be done in the meantime to increase importance and independence of PMCs, to make the path easier for when the great man arrives?
BAP has repeatedly expressed hope for an innovation in military tech that would make the skilled individual warrior relevant again on the battlefield, hopefully leading to interesting cultural changes. Something like the personal shields in Dune. I have not seen sustained discussion of this anywhere, it seems like one of the most important projects that could be pursued by those in our sphere with the required skills and knowledge. As we speak there are some people trying to figure out how to effectively farm spider silk to make body armor, for instance by implanting relevant spider genes into silkworms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_silk . Arms companies around the world, big and small, are surely working on other such projects. All in all this seems like an area where concrete progress is actually possible!
A related point, inspired by the current war in Europe, is that developments in cheap drone technology are already starting to make obsolete the kinds of expensive, complex weapons systems with convoluted supply chains that only powerful states can produce and pay for. In principle any such “democratization” of war constitutes progress, although drone technology in particular might make bringing back the skilled individual warrior more difficult. But still, another area where concrete progress is actually possible.
Fight Club is often sneered at. I think there are some interesting ideas there. Finding ways to mess with the data flows and record piles the current system relies on (which are the way the world is made “legible” to the state and opened up to the extreme levels of control we’re currently living under). In association with this I remember the observation made by BAP and others that it is strange how “public acts” today almost never target anything or anyone actually plugged into the ruling regime’s power-web (Bray-vik sort of an exception – I am merely describing, not endorsing), as well as how rare-seeming individuals with skills relevant to data-disruption who are ready to “throw their life on the pyre” are (We-ev for instance). But I do not code, maybe I am naïve about the prospects of such projects?
This leads me to another point. I think Unicode Poster (RIP) is right that “If you want to win this late into the game, then you'd need to rally a group of people who all agree to commit their life and the life of their children to the cause… if you ain't willing to lie, cheat, steal, and murder your way to the top you will remain on the bottom.” Underlying this observation, and even more fundamental, is that there must emerge skilled young men ready to “throw their life on the pyre”. Without this disposition, nothing will get done. Finding ways to cultivate it should be of paramount concern, even as the world situation (especially living standards) continue to decline (which will make cultivating this disposition ever easier). A challenge to this is the potential tension with family formation (an issue that has been discussed at length between BAP and his critics, and which must continue to be explored).
Finally, there seem to be at least a few billionaires paying attention to, or at least aware of prominent figures in our sphere (most notably BAP). Seduction of these types must continue, in order to secure funding for experiments in breeding and cultivation of certain psychological and physiological traits and types. What more can be done to achieve success in this domain?
Wag-ner and Prigo’s recent actions in the ongoing war in Europe are proof of concept for what a genuine manifestation of the “classical man” might be able to accomplish in the future using PMCs. What can be done in the meantime to increase importance and independence of PMCs, to make the path easier for when the great man arrives?
BAP has repeatedly expressed hope for an innovation in military tech that would make the skilled individual warrior relevant again on the battlefield, hopefully leading to interesting cultural changes. Something like the personal shields in Dune. I have not seen sustained discussion of this anywhere, it seems like one of the most important projects that could be pursued by those in our sphere with the required skills and knowledge. As we speak there are some people trying to figure out how to effectively farm spider silk to make body armor, for instance by implanting relevant spider genes into silkworms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_silk . Arms companies around the world, big and small, are surely working on other such projects. All in all this seems like an area where concrete progress is actually possible!
A related point, inspired by the current war in Europe, is that developments in cheap drone technology are already starting to make obsolete the kinds of expensive, complex weapons systems with convoluted supply chains that only powerful states can produce and pay for. In principle any such “democratization” of war constitutes progress, although drone technology in particular might make bringing back the skilled individual warrior more difficult. But still, another area where concrete progress is actually possible.
Fight Club is often sneered at. I think there are some interesting ideas there. Finding ways to mess with the data flows and record piles the current system relies on (which are the way the world is made “legible” to the state and opened up to the extreme levels of control we’re currently living under). In association with this I remember the observation made by BAP and others that it is strange how “public acts” today almost never target anything or anyone actually plugged into the ruling regime’s power-web (Bray-vik sort of an exception – I am merely describing, not endorsing), as well as how rare-seeming individuals with skills relevant to data-disruption who are ready to “throw their life on the pyre” are (We-ev for instance). But I do not code, maybe I am naïve about the prospects of such projects?
This leads me to another point. I think Unicode Poster (RIP) is right that “If you want to win this late into the game, then you'd need to rally a group of people who all agree to commit their life and the life of their children to the cause… if you ain't willing to lie, cheat, steal, and murder your way to the top you will remain on the bottom.” Underlying this observation, and even more fundamental, is that there must emerge skilled young men ready to “throw their life on the pyre”. Without this disposition, nothing will get done. Finding ways to cultivate it should be of paramount concern, even as the world situation (especially living standards) continue to decline (which will make cultivating this disposition ever easier). A challenge to this is the potential tension with family formation (an issue that has been discussed at length between BAP and his critics, and which must continue to be explored).
Finally, there seem to be at least a few billionaires paying attention to, or at least aware of prominent figures in our sphere (most notably BAP). Seduction of these types must continue, in order to secure funding for experiments in breeding and cultivation of certain psychological and physiological traits and types. What more can be done to achieve success in this domain?
