4 ms·

Is this the James Burnham who really wanted to use biological and chemical weapons in Vietnam? The James Burnham who thought Germany and Japan would win world w

by tovej 4y ago

Is this the James Burnham who really wanted to use biological and chemical weapons in Vietnam? The James Burnham who thought Germany and Japan would win world war II? The James Burnham who was so blinded by his ideology that he couldn't see a way for the USSR to survive past WWII? Who was so paranoid he thought that China and the USSR never split up? The James Burnham whose ideas about the managerial revolution have been refuted and thrown away by modern scholars? And how is this in any way related to Musk's absolutely insane antics at twitter? In no way at all. The article also suggests that Musk is good because twitter used to be owned by the Saudis, but forgets that Musks purchase was funded by the Saudis. It somehow manages to say nothing and contain pretty garish misrepresentations at the same time. The blogpost also uses a lot of 4chan/libertarian dog whistles: "normie", "marketplace of ideas", references to Ayn Rand for petes sake. Honestly, what a load of drivel.

defrost 4y ago
Indeed. I was expecting perhaps a new and savage Bo Burnham musical takedown of Space Karen . . . instead it was fantastical Rand-esque fanfic salivating over some notion of überMuschk.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
skrebbel 4y ago
Total nitpick, because i generally agree, but “normie” is a 4chan/libertarian dog whistle? I don’t identify with that group at all but i use plenty. I just thought it referred to generally “the not nerdy / not terminally online crowd”.
- tovej 4y ago
  You're right, it's pretty widespread these days, but in the early 2010s I would have associated it mostly with 4chan culture, although I suppose other communities would have used it as well. I'm not as terminally online anymore so my gut feeling might be wrong now, and I'll admit it may have been wrong for the 2010s too. Possibly it's just the combo of crypto-fascist vibes and the use of juvenile terms like "normie" that triggers some 4chan detector in my brain.

by tovej 4y ago

defrost 4y ago

Indeed. I was expecting perhaps a new and savage Bo Burnham musical takedown of Space Karen . . . instead it was fantastical Rand-esque fanfic salivating over some notion of überMuschk.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

skrebbel 4y ago

Total nitpick, because i generally agree, but “normie” is a 4chan/libertarian dog whistle? I don’t identify with that group at all but i use plenty. I just thought it referred to generally “the not nerdy / not terminally online crowd”.

tovej 4y ago
You're right, it's pretty widespread these days, but in the early 2010s I would have associated it mostly with 4chan culture, although I suppose other communities would have used it as well. I'm not as terminally online anymore so my gut feeling might be wrong now, and I'll admit it may have been wrong for the 2010s too. Possibly it's just the combo of crypto-fascist vibes and the use of juvenile terms like "normie" that triggers some 4chan detector in my brain.