Graeber on the 'Extreme Centre'.

Couldn't be more relevant.

"Such would be the future's hopeless alternative: either the possibilities imposed by the axiomatic, or the impossible as a future void of its possibility. How does one become capable of action under these conditions? How could every struggle not be lost from the start? But the error perhaps lies precisely in thinking political action in terms of the future, even from a revolutionary point of view. Isn't it in the name of the future that the battles of nomadism or minorities are lost from the start?

In reality, the outcome of the struggle matters little, likewise its recuperation - that "disenchanted concept"; the important thing is the struggle itself, the forces it obliges us to muster, even if everything falls apart or goes bad later on. If there is a disenchanted concept, it is first of all that of the future. It is always in its name that we give up or betray a struggle ("think of your future"). To become capable of action, we must paradoxically give up the idea of the future. We must leap into another temporality and discover the new forces of time."

-David Lapoujade, Aberrant Movements

That said, that article that you linked to is absolute bonkers. The news outlet is a far-right libertarian conspiracy website, and the JPMorgan guy they talked to has a history of making bullish predictions on Trump's chances. — Mr Bee

Ha, fair enough. I come across their stuff every now and then and it's usually economics rather than politics. Nonetheless, good to know.

I just feel there's been a bit of a turn in the last couple of weeks with alot of outlets looking to polls and basically calling it for Biden. This kind of hope ought to be crushed until one sees it in the concrete. And even then, one ought to give Biden every bit of shit that that corporate fuckbag deserves, even if he does win.

The article I cited was an afterthought. I'm just saying: don't trust Americans not to fuck themselves when given the opportunity.

Biden could well still lose. Or, given the utter havock wrecked on the basic democratic mechanism of voting by the GOP, the courts could still simply give it to Trump. Don't make the mistake of thinking Biden has it in the bag.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/jpmorgans-kolanovic-has-warning-those-expecting-crushing-biden-victory

Reza Negarestani - Intelligence and Spirit

Preparing to have my mind blown to pieces.

He was also @smartguy.

OP has been banned for religious proselytizing. Don't do it.

I think you mean Obama.

There's nothing secret about it. It's been happening for the last 40 years right in front of your faces. And there's no dichotomy between the capitalist plutocracy the US is and the fascist state its lolling it's way into. The latter would in fact uphold the former in a far more effective way.

My whole point is that you don't need "Proud Boys" running around in the streets make America more of a fascist-inclined shithole than it already is. It's already there in the institutions which preside over it.

The PB are largely an internet meme anyway. A couple of hundred losers who got into the limelight because their founder shoved a butt-plug up himself to 'own the libs', among other things. Again my point is to forget all this shitty spectacle. It's there to distract you. And the fantasy of more spectacle - "civil war" - what, by a fatass nation that can't get off the couch long enough to give a shit about their own dead black neighbours? - isn't helping either.

Things have been 'normal' in the US for quite some time. Trump just made content match form.

He's simply the projected fantasy of liberals made flesh. The idea of some external corrupting force whose defeat would affirm all the more the goodness and 'normalcy' of the system as it was before. The fantasy of 'civil war' is cut from the same cloth. Some big upheal outside the 'normal' run of things, beyond which, the system is just fine.

But if Biden wins and turns it around, restores normality — Punshhh

Normality? Biden and his ilk put the US on this path to begin with.

Today, it's much easier to leverage a mob via Facebook then it is to bend standing institutions to your will. — Echarmion

There's no 'bending' involved - these institutions will willingly do what's needed. Basically, you have much too much faith in your insitutions. They're all basically already fucked, and the only question is one of degree. The US is the proverbial frog in boiling water - it's been slow roasting for so long most of its citizens don't realize just what a hellhole of a plutocracy they already live in. Which is why they can fantasize about some impending 'civil war' which would mark some kind of definitive change. Americans are largely a population of compliant, scared, and oblivious hicks who would be quite happy with whatever political arrangements there might be so long as no one bothers them too much personally.

What tiny pockets of 'resistance' that would arise would be crushed by your internal security forces while being cheered on by your 'thin blue line' crowd. The point is that the imaginary spectre of 'civil war' serves nothing more than to disable action in the present, in expectation of some messianic violence which is a fantasy of where the 'real political change' will play out. Except it's not in some imaginary future, it's here and now where your miserable lives are being decided upon.

God it's like watching a puppy trying to make human noises.

I'm sure you think you're making some kind of relevant point, and it's really cute.

Whatever violence there will be will be carried out by agents of the state - police, national guard, and so on. And they'll be carrying out the dictates of law. All your 'anti-government' 2A militia rednecks have proven to be nothing more than bootlicking leeches when push comes to shove, and your liberals will demand nothing other than yet another town hall meeting or somesuch.

All I'm saying is - don't expect violence to play anything more than some minor role. There'll be no 'civil war' in the US. Everything will be codified and done by the book, because the book itself will be rotten.

The liberal fantasy of an explosion of violence that would mark the US's descent in fascism is just that: a fantasy. It's particularly pernicious too because it serves nothing but a pacifying effect: short of that spectacle of violence, Americans will sit around and wait for the fabled Big Bang while piece by piece the fascists install themselves into power.

When - as has been happening - fascism comes to America, it will do so by way of its storied institutions. Its courts, its legislature, its public services, its media. Fascism will arrive by officialdom, and not violence. And when Americans wake up the next morning waiting for the killing to begin, the fascists will already be there, and the liberals will still be wondering where it is.

Domestic terrorism in America simply is right-wing violence.

The two terms can be used interchangeably without loss.

This includes libertarians who all ought to swallow poison and die before they cause further harm to anyone else.

Trump, of course, has been an hyper-catalyst and petri-dish for it.

:groan: :up:

Yes, probably something to do with the fact that there were fucking Nazis in government you fucking numpkin.

Greece knows how to treat fascists - you cave their fucking heads in and you destroy any organizational power they have.

The upside is some important patents have expired a few years ago so some drop might be expected. — Benkei

Was just reading about this. Super interesting. A case of bad timing right now. Aie.

Greece: Antifa nation.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/07/golden-dawn-leader-and-ex-mps-found-guilty-in-landmark-trial

"A Greek court has delivered an overwhelming conviction against Golden Dawn, finding the neo-fascist party guilty of operating a criminal gang that brutally targeted opponents under the guise of being a political group. At the end of a trial launched more than five years ago, the three-member tribunal headed by presiding judge Maria Lepenioti, announced that seven of Golden Dawn’s leaders were culpable of directing the deadly organisation. Others were found guilty of the lesser charge of participating in the criminal gang. The judgement was met with jubilation by thousands who had gathered around the heavily guarded court complex ahead of the verdict chanting “Nazis belong to prison.”

Wonder which liberal or 'libertarian' will come to their defence and whine about fascist 'rights'.

--

This is pretty wild btw.

Ooh, the remakable website displays prices in AUD (for me) - I just assmued it was USD as the whole damn internet is. You're right, it is cheaper. I still think the price point is crazy high considering you can get an iPad for similar price. Trade off between specialization and generality, but still technically speaking these readers do alot less.

There's a gap in the market for a sub USD$250 A4 eReader I swear.

Wooof that looks gorgeous but is even more pricey!

I would like the A4 sizes for ereaders to become more affordable to be able to read books with pictures and diagrams as well. — Benkei

This! I held off getting a kindle because I have a big pdf library and was worried that some books would be too squinty to read. Found a way around it with some clever open source software but it would be great to have an A4 reader that didn't cost as much as an iPad.

I wonder why people feel to need to come up with excuses for his behaviour other than the sheer fact that he is a fucking moron who has no idea what he is doing and has demonstrated this time and time again - with the exception of the utter lucidity he has when pleasing his corporate overlords and nazi base.

Like, what judgement did he have to impair to begin with?

I was gifted a kindle the other day so now I'm tearing through all these 80-150 pages books that I cbf spending money on and it's great.

Well we know it can cross species.

Michael Huemer's Approaching Infinity (2016) or Graham Oppy's Philosophical Perspectives on Infinity (2006) are probably your best bets for contemporary scholarship.

My favourite book on it is a bit older - José Benardete's Infinity (1964), which is out of print but available second-hand, and is absolutely awesome.

Of all the things to nail Trump to the wall for, going for a joyride is really not one of them. A non-issue.

Sad he's not a carcass at this point though. Did enjoy the video of him grimacing to breathe.

Remember that Project Veritas story NOS4A2 assured us was very real — Maw

:rofl: What a shitcunt.

Kōjin Karatani - Isonomia and the Origins of Philosophy
David Lapoujade - Aberrant Movements: The Philosophy of Gilles Deleuze
Giorgio Agamben - Creation and Anarchy

Direct Action. The key is to seek out and join existing organizations. This stuff can't be done from scratch, or alone. It requires mutual connections with others. Find a local organizing body, and join it. People will find things for you to do. Beyond that, normalize 'radical' ideas. Make them seem as obvious and plain as day. The only extremism is the state of affairs that exists right now.

Those who look to the state to do their political work for them and deny other avenues of action are useless and complicit.

Soooooo edgy to point out your limp horizon of political action. Wait till you meet the rest of the internet.

Yeah 'cause the choices are between petitioning daddy Biden and doing nothing :lol:

Narrow as a prick.

You misspelt fantasizing.

It'd be the best season ending.

Ah sleeping. About as much good as expecting Biden to do shit I guess.