The path of #fascism is blighted by ignorance and the rejection of deeper meaning in life. Fascist leaders and their followers push overconfidence and assertive ignorance, using baseless claims to hold dominance and control. They push false displays of good qualities, such as exaggerated patriotism or faux moral superiority, rather than any real ability and experience.
Fascist ideologies exploit the frustrations and insecurities of “lost” people, by offering them a sense of belonging and purpose based on false premises of identifying and vilifying scapegoats (immigrants, minorities, political opponents), fascist movements create and feed on this dysfunctional sense of unity and purpose.
The #mainstreming focus on superficial success, materialism, and immediate gratification lead to a rejection of deeper, more meaningful pursuits in life. This lack of cultural reflection and philosophical engagement makes it easier for fascist ideologies to take root, as they offer simplistic, emotionally appealing paths that answer base human paths.
#stupidindividualism is a seed for fascism, as it thrives in environments where people are isolated from broader perspectives and realities, so can reinforce narrow provincial mindsets. Without exposure to diverse cultures and ideas, people develop prejudiced views and simplistic solutions to complex problems.
Recognizing and Fighting Fascism is #KISS to progressives:
To move away from fascism, as a first step, people and communities need to acknowledge and confront the “stupid, pathetic, frustrated side” of themselves. This means taking social responsibility for our prejudices, ignorance, and superficial values. In this, education has a path to play to build critical thinking, cultural awareness, and the ability to reflect. But more immediate, is the need to encouraging engagement with activism, social movements, art, philosophy, and history which helps people to develop a more “real” understanding of the world and their place in it, and most importantly a real ability to change it.
Promoting dialogue between groups is a way to share understandings and reduce isolation and prejudice, this helps to support initiatives that build strong, #4opens communities where people feel valued and heard. Fascism is rooted in ignorance, superficial values, and the exploitation of frustration and prejudice. By acknowledging this we open up space for education, cultural engagement, and critical thinking where our activism holds the path to foster inclusive communities, we can, and need to, push back at the rise of fascist ideologies.
You, personally, are not going to defeat fascism. But that doesn’t mean you do nothing. Find ways to organise, figure out where you can push and pull. There’s always something you can do, but you have to do it—not just hold a positive opinion of it being done.
The #deathcult thrives on static control—hoarding, fences, borders, walled gardens, and hierarchies. The #openweb, radical media, and grassroots organising all work differently: they live in flows, decentralisation, and trust.
It’s past time to stop trying to own the river and start learning how to navigate it.
The accidental #openweb reboot of the #fediverse was created and popularized by a diverse and disorganized group of progressives with meany #fashernistas, this is a #4opens “native” path and reflects the decentralized and chaotic nature of grassroots movements. This “herding cats” means that achieving consensus or coordinated action is challenging. The last 40 years have seen the rise of neoliberalism, emphasizing individualism, deregulation, and market-driven policies. This ideological backdrop complicates collective action and pushes #stupidindividualism, where individual interests override communal goals.
Proposed paths to mediate this mess, the #OGB Grassroots #DIY Producer Governance is core to building away from this mess, to shape a more inclusive and responsive governance model for the #fediverse. By emphasizing local, bottom-up governance, communities retain control over their own platforms and content, fostering a resilient and adaptive “native” #openweb.
Naming and challenging the status quo worshipping the #deathcult is basic. Continually calling out the prevailing “common sense” that aligns with neoliberal values as the “deathcult” disrupts complacency and encourage critical thinking. If this is, pushed this approach makes #mainstreaming acceptance of harmful practices uncomfortable and prompt more people to question and resist them.
Promoting simple, powerful concepts. The #KISS “Keep It Simple, Stupid” helps to clarify complex issues. Promoting straightforward concepts like #openweb vs. #closedweb simplifies the narrative and makes it more accessible. Please use the #4opens framework (open data, open source, open standards, open process) as a benchmark to evaluate and critique technology for better decision-making that reduces #techchurn.
Leveraging group use of hashtags as an organizing tool, consistent and strategic use of hashtags helps unify efforts, spread ideas, and create a sense of collective identity to increases visibility and engagement, making it easier to coordinate actions and amplify messages.
What you can do? Develop and promote #OGB resources and guides for grassroots DIY governance paths. Encourage communities to adopt these models and share their experiences. Challenge neoliberal ideology, by use all your platforms to name and critique the prevailing neoliberal “common sense.” Create content that explains the concept of the #deathcult and its implications in an every way possible. Simplify and clarify messaging, develop clear, #KISS explanations of the #openweb, #closedweb, and #4opens concepts. Create infographics, videos, and other media to make these ideas more digestible and shareable. Organize through hashtags, establish and promote key hashtags for initiatives. Encourage coordinated use of these hashtags to build momentum and visibility for campaigns. Build alliances and networks, collaborate with like-minded people and organizations to strengthen the path. Participate in and organize events, both online and offline, to foster a sense of community and shared purpose.
These are steps that communities can take to navigate the challenges posed by the current ideological landscape, promote effective governance models, and strengthen the #openweb path. Let’s please try improving the current state of the #fediverse, and the broader #openweb.
Tackling the challenges of bureaucracy and #mainstreaming inertia. We need to try and jump the hurdles within tech communities with for example the current pouring down the drain of tech funding provided by #NGI (Next Generation Internet). It is an obvious path we need to get right soon:
Addressing bureaucratic inertia (and native corruption) in the EU tech funding:
Leverage small wins pilot projects: we need to get some funding to shift to real alternatives, Implement small-scale pilot projects that demonstrate benefits and serve as proof of concepts. These projects gradually shift perspectives and encourage larger scale initiatives. Advocate for incremental changes rather than radical shifts, which are more palatable to bureaucratic institutions.
Engage stakeholders in collaborative platforms, we need to rejuvenate the moribund https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/ to build agen the collaborative space where policymakers, activists, industry experts, and community members discuss, co-create, and refine initiatives.
Storytelling and communication narrative building to craft compelling narratives, using the existing hashtag seeds to highlight the human and social benefits of proposed changes. Use storytelling to make abstract concepts tangible and relatable.
Resource allocation funding initiatives: Seek funding from diverse sources, including grants, crowdfunding, alongside the #EU institutional funding. Use this to invest in skill development to bridge gaps within the community and foster the “native” #openweb path.
Encourage collaboration across different prospectives to bring fresh paths to push solutions. Knowledge sharing, use the #4opens to clear meaningful paths to move outside the current clutter. Create platforms for sharing this knowledge, run workshops, webinars, and hackathons, to facilitate “native” learning and collaboration.
Promote open practices that encourage contributions from a wide range of participants, not just the core tech-savvy individuals. Experimentation Spaces: Create spaces for experimentation where failures are seen as learning opportunities rather than setbacks.
Bridging the Gap Between EU Bureaucracy and Tech Communities:
Dialogue and advocacy: Establish regular dialogues between tech communities and EU policymakers to discuss challenges, share insights, and co-develop solutions. Use projects like the #OGB to build up tech ambassadors and liaisons who can effectively communicate this divide.
Develop joint projects where tech communities and EU bodies work together on common goals, such as digital transformation, data commons, and open internet standards. Learn from the “native” hackerspace movement to create innovation hubs that serve as collaborative spaces for tech communities and policymakers to experiment with new ideas and technologies.
In conclusion, the journey to shift meaningful initiatives within the #EU and overcome the #geekproblem in tech communities involves activism leveraging small wins, engaging wider stakeholders, using community advocacy, and fostering inclusive and collaborative #openweb environments. These are a path to shift the resources of bureaucratic institutions while overcoming internal #geekproblem challenges, ultimately driving the positive and impactful change that is so obviously needed.
The #4opens is a path to evaluate the value and openness of alternative or grassroots technology projects. A way to promote transparency, accessibility, and collaboration on the path to of alternatives to #mainstreaming, closed systems. It stands in contrast to #dotcons projects that hoard closed and monetize data. By adhering to these principles, projects offer value to people and the broader community, as opposed to extracting value.
While traditional open data initiatives focus primarily on making data accessible, the #4opens framework encompasses a more comprehensive approach to openness. This grassroots focus extends beyond just data to include source code, operations, and process. This is in contrast to traditional open data initiatives are associated with government or large institutional efforts. By including four distinct aspects of openness, the #4opens provide a holistic way to judge the value and transparency of a project. This contrasts with traditional initiatives that focus solely on data accessibility.
The strong emphasis on community participation and collaboration. The “Open Process” aspect goes beyond just sharing data or code, emphasizing transparency in how a project is run and managed. This is not typically a core component of traditional open data initiatives, and makes this a real alternative to corporate models. The #4opens framework is explicitly focused on judging the overall value and ethos of a project, rather than just its technical compliance with open data standards.
Collaborative development: With open source as a principle, grassroots projects benefit from collective efforts in improving and expanding their technology. This allows for faster innovation and problem-solving. Trust-building: Open process promote transparency in how projects are managed and run. This builds trust within the community and attracts more participants and supporters. Problem-solving focus: The framework encourages the development of tools and approaches that address real issues arising from social organization within #openweb communities, fostering practical solutions to grassroots challenges.
The #4opens serve as a simple yet effective way to #KISS judge the value and openness of grassroots tech projects. This helps both project creators and users assess the alignment of a project with open principles. By adhering to these principles, grassroots tech projects offer more value to people and the broader community, building the needed open, collaborative, and community-driven approach to technology development.
The #4opens framework fosters collaboration among grassroots tech projects
* Open Data: By making data freely accessible, projects share information, metadata and insights, enabling cross-project collaboration and innovation. This openness allows different initiatives to build upon each other’s work and avoid duplicating efforts * Open Source: The emphasis on open source software encourages collaborative development across projects. By sharing code, grassroots initiatives leverage each other’s work, contribute improvements, and collectively advance their goals. This fosters a culture of shared knowledge and resources * Open Standards: Adherence to open industrial standards promotes interoperability between different grassroots projects. This allows diverse systems to work together seamlessly, facilitating integration and collaboration across initiatives * Open Process: This encourages transparency in project workflows and decision-making. By adopting open processes like wikis and activity streams, projects involve stakeholders in planning, development, and governance. This fosters trust, accountability, and collective ownership among collaborators
Community Involvement: The #4opens framework promotes community participation, allowing people interested to contribute to projects. This creates a broader collaborative ecosystem where diverse skills and perspectives are shared across initiatives. The #4opens provide a common set of principles for assessing grassroots tech projects. This shared framework allows projects to evaluate each other, identify collaborators, and build trust within the community. By positioning as alternatives to closed, corporate models, #4opens projects gravitate towards collaboration with like-minded initiatives. This fosters a supportive ecosystem of grassroots tech projects working towards similar goals. The openness promoted facilitates the sharing of best practices, lessons learned, and approaches across projects. This collective learning accelerates progress and problem-solving within the grassroots tech community.
The #4opens can be used to build a foundation of trust and shared values that enables diverse projects to work together towards common progressive paths.
The last 40 years of social and environmental mismanagement have brought us the onrushing disaster of #climatechaos and social break down. This situation highlights a troubling reality about society. On one side, we have the powerful and fundamental evil hard right anti #mainstreaming entities responsible for the harm. On the other side, there’s a small movement of left anti manstreaming activists pushing for urgent and necessary change. Caught in the middle are the mainstreaming majority, the “common sense” liberals, who by default align with the #mainstreaming evil forces that side with the hard right to resist this push for needed change. This alignment is a #blocking obstacle to addressing the root causes of our environmental and social crisis.
What I’ve been doing through the #OMN (Open Media Network) the last 20 years is to support the left and targeting these middle-ground liberals, aiming to grow their perspective and support towards meaningful change. It’s notable that #XR (Extinction Rebellion) has also taken the fluffy side of this approach in recent years. Currently, liberals represent a #blocking force. Overcoming their resistance is essential to addressing the challenges posed by dogmatic power and achieving the transformative change our we and the wider ecological planet so desperately needs.
It’s a desperate time for people have to work past their prat’ish “common sense” to compost this mess.
On this blog, I am looking at the path of change challenge, with a focus on tech and activism leading to revolution. What meany people still do not understand is that this is the positive path to take. Though, as has been pointed out, “the issue is that time is running out for this path before global climate collapse — one bad feedback trigger cascading into the next. Ocean circulation and weather disturbances, massive forest fires and famine, ocean acidification, phytoplankton death, oxygen depletion. The stuff of disaster movies.”
In a world hurtling towards environmental catastrophe, for some people the spectre of revolution can be seen as pointless. The harsh reality is that the clock is ticking, and our time and focus to avert the most devastating impacts of climate change is fading, we do need to act, and we need tools to act with #OMN. The real nightmare begins with one feedback loop after another: Ocean Circulation Disruptions: Changes in ocean currents drastically alter global climate systems, leading to unprecedented weather disturbances. Massive Forest Fires: Temperatures rise, forest fires become more frequent and intense, releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide and further accelerating global warming. Famine: Altered weather patterns and prolonged droughts could devastate agriculture, leading to widespread food shortages and famine. Ocean Acidification: Increased CO2 levels lead to more acidic oceans, endangering marine life, especially those with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons. Phytoplankton Death: The death of these tiny but vital organisms would disrupt the marine food chain and significantly reduce oxygen production. Oxygen Depletion: With less oxygen being produced by phytoplankton, we face a future where breathable air is no longer guaranteed.
Without urgent change, we will likely survive this, but at what cost? Think Mad Max rather than liberal norms, there might be a billion survivors, but they won’t be happy people. Struggling to live in a world drastically different and much harsher than the one we know today. Necessities like food, water, and clean air become scarce, with societal structures collapsed under the pressure of survival. The thought of living through such a scenario is scary.
So on a positive note, this is a wake-up call for the urgent need for social change and immediate action to mediate climate change, we need to shift our focus from merely surviving to thriving by fostering resilience and sustainability, fundamentally shifting away from the current mess. We need tools to use to bring about this change #OMN
It should be obverse to most of us that we are past the stage for pushing only sustainable practices in daily life, from reducing waste to supporting eco-friendly businesses. The is likely still some effect from, policy changes and raising awareness to educate others about the dangers of climate collapse so they can take direct action now to build communities. One thing which will have some affect is building resilience by invest time and effect in community projects to help mediate the social paths through the impacts of climate change.
The fight against climate change is not only about preventing disaster; it’s about creating a path through the mess. We can still take action, as catastrophe unfolds. Understanding paths that actually matter, helps. You can support one path here https://opencollective.com/open-media-network
The Looming of Human Extinction: We Need A Call to Action
Why Human Extinction is Almost Certain, human survival is based on maintaining global temperatures within a certain threshold. Staying under 5°C of additional global warming to avoid catastrophic consequences. Peer-reviewed research says that the pace at which temperatures are rising has been underestimated due to greenhouse gas emissions driven by the current mess. We are now on a trajectory towards 7-13°C of additional heating, far exceeding the critical threshold of 5°C.
The Evidence is in the underestimation of Temperature Rise. Multiple peer-reviewed studies highlight that the rate of temperature increase has been significantly underestimated. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate models have not fully accounted for feedback loops and other accelerating factors.
Current emissions’ trajectory, despite crap international agreements and pledges, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to skyrocket. Coming over the next ten years are feedback loops, permafrost thawing, ice melt, and oceanic methane release. These feedback loops are not linear; they amplify the effects of greenhouse gas, leading to faster and more severe #climatechaos.
The consequence of 7-13°C Heating is simply ecosystem collapse, disrupting food chains and natural services. Human health and livelihoods are affected by heatwaves, severe weather events, and sea-level rise which will displace millions. Agricultural productivity will plummet, leading to widespread food shortages and famine, combined with increased disease transmission due to changing climates and habitat ranges for vectors.
Social and Political Unrest, resource scarcity will push conflicts and migration crises. Political instability and societal breakdowns will become more frequent as communities struggle to adapt. Why Transformation is Inevitable, leading to revolutionary change. The impending collapse of societal structures under environmental pressures necessitates revolutionary change. Transformation is not just desirable, but essential to steer the course towards any future.
Guiding the Transformation is a role for our grassroots movements, activism and community-driven initiatives that are crucial. The Open Media Network (#OMN) and other decentralized platforms provide tools for organizing and disseminating information for action. This can drive technological and social innovation, shifting investment to renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and resilient infrastructure. This will need social innovations, such as new governance models exemplified by the Open Governance Body (#OGB), which offers adaptive and participatory solutions.
More #mainstreaming policy and accountability has a role in holding our greedy classes and policymakers accountable for climate actions and emissions. International cooperation and enforcement of stringent climate policies needs to be prioritized.
Call to Action, human extinction due to #climatechaos is not a distant possibility but an imminent threat. We must act to mediate in any way we can the worst outcomes and guide on a progressive path the inevitable transformation. Join grassroots movements, support technological and social innovations, and demand accountability from those who cling to power. Together, we try to steer the course of history towards survival and flourishing rather than extinction.
We need to move away from the #mainstreaming of mess because the current political and economic systems actively push this mess, while also avoiding dealing with any of the root causes of the problems they create by the mess they make. For decades, all our politicians support endless wars, military interventions, and the militarization of police forces. Pushing the global instability and domestic repression they say they are addressing. Despite constant claims of economic growth, people face stagnant wages that have not kept up with the cost of living, crippling inflation and skyrocketing rents are making it difficult for normal people to make ends meet.
The ongoing ecological crisis, record-breaking heat waves, wildfires, and extreme weather events, is a direct result of decades of environmental neglect and exploitation. All of our parties failed to take meaningful action to address climate change, prioritizing corporate profits over sustainable paths. The failure to address the ecological crisis threatens the survival of our selves and future generations.
The crackdown on social movements and mass incarceration are distraction and a tool by the state to maintain control and suppress dissent, stifling the potential for transformative social change. The growing anger and disillusionment with #neoliberal policies allow demagogues like Farage and Donald Trump to present themselves as alternatives. But their solutions are not progressive, rather rooted in racism, xenophobia, and authoritarianism, that only leads to growing fascism.
All the major political parties are inbred with corporate interests. They offer superficial solutions to systemic problems, seeking to manage rather than resolve the crises they have created. Real change needs organizing and building vibrant, diverse grassroots movements that can grow new forms of life and community outside the collapsing #mainstreaming structures. To seed change as faith in current institutions becomes irrelevant as they fail to address the fundamental issues facing society.
We need to step away from the #mainstreaming mess, reject “common sense” liberal and #neoliberal, #fascist agendas. Instead, focus on building a diversity of new societies to give people a real chance to step away. This likely requires a collective effort to organize, resist, and create alternative forms of social and economic to build more “nativist” humanistic societies.
In the #liberal approach to politics and economic systems, they have an ambition to save the world, they champion progressive causes such as climate change mitigation, social justice, and human rights. Their strategy to mediate the current mess involves leveraging the existing political and economic systems to achieve these goals, believing that reforms lead to significant improvements without changing the current structures.
We have “right” and “left” liberals, the right is blinded dogmatic worshippers of the #deathcult where the “left” uphold capitalist principles, regulated markets, private enterprise, and incremental reforms and are terrified of radical changes. At best, this creates a perception that they are trying to balance two inherently contradictory goals: preserving the status quo while also advocating for real progressive change.
Delusion or Pragmatism? Incremental Change vs. Radical Overhaul, for anyone with any sense, this balancing act is delusional because capitalism’s drive for profit and growth stands in opposition to the environmental sustainability and social equity that liberals say they seek. They do argue, with some merit, that incremental change within the system is more pragmatic and achievable in the short term, and that it can lay the groundwork for more substantial transformations in the future. Looking at historical precedents, significant social changes, such as civil rights advancements, labour protections, and environmental regulations, have come through gradual reforms rather than abrupt revolutions.
What this website keeps asking is the liberal #mainstreaming path fit for purpose any more, after 40 years of worshipping a #deathcult, might we actually require radical changes? The onrushing #climatechaos and hard shifts to the right, makes questioning this path the new building #mainstreming. We do need to question whether the current political and economic paths address pressing global issues effectively or at all. If not, more radical solutions need to be considered.
Back to the fluffy liberals. While maintaining the strengths of liberal democracy—such as civil liberties and political freedoms—it is worthwhile exploring and experimenting with alternative economic models that prioritize ecological sustainability and social equity more explicitly. This is in part what the current #openweb reboot is about.
Constructive dialogue about this between our “left” liberals and more radical progressives needs to lead to real, innovative options that draw on the basic humanistic strengths. While the liberal approach is contradictory, in its fluffier “left” path it represents a pragmatic effort to navigate the complexities of modern society. Whether this approach is sufficient to address our global challenges is a question that deserves ongoing discussion and active critical examination. This is at the heart of the fluffy/spiky debate.
The mess is a result of the socioeconomic outcome of the widespread adoption of #neoliberal policies and ideology. Neoliberal theorists like Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman developed and promoted the ideas, emphasizing competition and market-based solutions to social and economic problems. Politicians like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan implemented neoliberal policies on a large scale, fundamentally altering over the last 40 years the role of government and the structure of our society.
Business interests, pushed neoliberal policies to restore their power and wealth, which had diminished during the era of “progressive” liberalism. Think tanks, academic institutions and university economics departments played a role in spreading and legitimizing neoliberal ideas.
The economic crises of the 1970s, stagflation and oil shocks, created an opening for neoliberal policies to be pushed as an alternative to existing redistributive social democratic economic models. This was then taken up by #mainstreaming political parties, including traditionally left-leaning parties, such as Labour in the UK, who pushed the same neoliberal agendas, contributing to the ideology’s total dominance across the political spectrum. The “mess” we are in is not the result of a conspiracy, more the failed #fashionista pushing of ideas, self-interest, and historical circumstances.
Over the last 40 years we have fundamentally altered how people, institutions, and governments see the world and their roles in society. This shift has led to social brake feed by “common sense” #stupidindividualism and market-based destruction of social goods and environment. The “common sense” pervasiveness of neoliberal logic made this thinking difficult to escape, even for people who profess to oppose it. This mess is proving to be a #deathcult in the era of #XR
What works in the rise of social justice movements and grassroots mobilization. Movements start at the local level, driven by people and groups who are directly affected by social injustices and are motivated to bring about change. For technology to be of use to build these out wider, we need to foster the importance of open and decentralized platforms, such as the #openweb and the #fediverse, to allow for free and serendipitous communication. This enables activists to organize, share information, and mobilize support without the bindings of corporate and governmental control. An example project is the #OMN and #indymediaback
Historical context and memory need core, documenting and preserving the history of social justice movements to be vital. The role of historical memory in inspiring to educate future generations of activists. By understanding past struggles, working practices and victories and defeats, current movements learn lessons and build on previous efforts. An example for this is the #makeinghistory project.
Resistance to co-optation, with many activist groups, facing the risk of being co-opted by funding sources, which leads to a shift in their agendas and working culture. Maintaining independence and staying true to their mission is essential for the sustained rise of movements. This is a hard path in the current mess, but it has been done before, so can be done again. As a small step, you can support this project here https://opencollective.com/open-media-network
A balanced approach to activism, needs active spiky/fluffy debut that combines direct action with strategic planning and advocacy. We need to be pragmatic in activism to addresses immediate needs while also working towards long-term change and challenge.
The relationship between movements and capitalist paths is fundamentally antagonistic. Capitalism is a system that disregards historical and social factors “Capitalism disregards the history of socio-economic material conditions, #classwar, #ecocide, debt, slavery, violence, and oppression.” Capitalism as inherently unjust and at odds with #KISS social justice path.
We should likely try socialism (and anarchism) as an alternative to capitalist paths “socio-economic path where the production (factories, mines, machinery, tools, raw materials, land, buildings, means of transport, etc.) are owned and controlled by the public.” As paths to create balanced distribution of wealth and power.
The capitalist system is self-destructive “We all now know the system we live under is destroying itself. So, what comes next? Fascism or revolution?” Radical change is necessary and inevitable. The individualistic approach promoted by #neoliberal ideologies reinforce capitalist structures. The #stupidIndividualism it has created shapes the #deathcult “common sense” we share with each other.
The importance of grassroots activism and social movements in challenging capitalist mess. We need #KISS paths such as the potential of hashtags and #openweb to create connections between people, build voices and actions, to mobilize communities for the needed change as necessary counterforces to capitalist #mainstreaming.
A complex philosophical and cultural movement of the mid to late 20th century. At its core is a rejection of objective values and beliefs, scepticism towards the idea of absolute truth, and a distrust of grand narratives. Let’s have a brief look at this and Noam Chomsky view of why this movement is still pushing the intellectual and societal “mess” we try to live in.
Rejection of Absolute Truth:#Postmodernism challenges the idea that there is a simple truth. Instead, it posits that truths are only, subjective, and socially constructed.
Rejection of Grand Narratives: Postmodernists are critical of overarching narratives or ideologies that help to explain large-scale historical, social, and cultural phenomena. Arguing, these narratives suppress alternative perspectives and reinforce power structures.
Critique of Power Relations: Central to postmodernism is the analysis of how power operates within society. Postmodernists highlight how power is unevenly distributed and shapes people’s identities, experiences, and world-views.
Deconstruction: This involves taking apart and examining all the underlying assumptions, ideas, and frameworks that constitute texts, ideas, and social practices. To push the inherent contradictions and power dynamics within them into view.
Chomsky’s Critique of Postmodernism:
Obscurantism and Inaccessibility: Chomsky argues that postmodernist writing is overly complex and obscure, making it inaccessible to the public and academics. That this complexity serves to alienate and insulate postmodernist thinkers from actual activism and practical engagement.
Lack of Concrete Action: Postmodernism allows people to adopt a radical stance without engaging in meaningful action. That the focus on abstract theorizing detracts from any real-world activism and change to challenge the #mainstreaming mess.
Creation of an Academic Power Structure: Chomsky asserts that postmodernism created its own academic power structure, where material rewards, prestigious positions and conference opportunities are given to those who adhere to its complex and impenetrable discourse. Thus diffusing real voices of change and challenge.
Contradictory and Trivial Claims: Chomsky criticizes postmodernists for making contradictory statements dressed in complex language to appear profound. That many postmodern claims mix trivial truths with outright absurdities, diluting knowledge and understanding.
Detrimental Impact on Third World Countries: We need to highlight the negative impact of postmodernism in developing countries, where intellectuals who could have contributed to meaningful social and political change are instead drawn into the abstract and irrelevant debates inside the postmodernism mess.
A #fashernista look at this mess, do you think it’s helpful spreading this #dotcons fodder?
Postmodernism’s rejection of universal truths and grand narratives leads to intellectual fragmentation. Without a common framework, discourse become fragmented, making it difficult to build consensus or coherent strategies for social change. The complexity and elitism of postmodernist thought erode public trust in intellectuals and academics. When scholars are disconnected from everyday concerns, their influence and credibility diminish. Postmodernism’s emphasis on the subjective nature of truth leads to cultural relativism, where all viewpoints are seen as equally valid. This undermines efforts to address injustices and challenge harmful practices. The focus on deconstruction and critique leads to a paralysis of action. If all truths and structures are seen as flawed, it becomes impossible to mobilize collective action or propose constructive solutions.
Conclusion: Postmodernism has dug itself deep into contemporary thought, people don’t see any more the creating of its own establishment norms and power structures, but it’s still there pushing much of the current mess. This has pushed intellectual insularity, a lack of practical engagement, and a strong tendency to obscurantism, building, the current “messy” blocking of meaningful activism and clear discourse.
For millennials lost after the mess of 9/11, the wars, economic upheaval, digital division, and social atomization, #TED was an appealing #mainstreaming alternate vision—of a society where ideas had currency, and a wider group of people could identify with the intellectual vanguard. This vision was delusion, but it easily overtook the norms of drift and disconnection in our failed alternative culture.
To have been young and thoughtful in the late 2000s was to be a citizen of TED nation – a community of dreamers more than doers, united by a common creed: that ideas matter, that inspiration is power, that the future belongs to those who can capture imaginations. This naivety was an easy path to take for the children of the #deathcult. TED’s prominence shaped the aspirations of a generation, it shaped how we thought about ourselves. This #stupidindividualism pushed the blinding possibility: you, too, could have an idea worth spreading. You, too, could be special.
TED defined the poverty of the blinded intellectual spirit of an era, a profoundly millennial idea: that we are each of us main characters and have an individual calling and a mission to “change the world” in some vaguely indefinable generally pointless way. And while the reality fell well short of the rhetoric, the animating spirit was strong and likely sincere for most people.
The priests of the #deathcult pushed #TED as class war, it was not a youthful indiscretion of a generation—a rite of passage on the road to hard-earned intellectual growth. Rather, it was a smoke and mirror mess pushed by a “progressive” #fahernistas class. In the post TED world we are back to where we were 20 years ago, the messy reality of class war, unfriendly and unwelcoming.
PS. it’s interesting to remember that #TED tried to be #openweb native at the start, they only turned to #dotcons when that path was abandoned by our #fashionistas and lead to the mess we are in today, what a mess.
