4 ms·

40k was intentionally a satirical setting by the authors. Even so it's legitimate to ask why so many people (including those who understand it's satirical/criti

40k was intentionally a satirical setting by the authors. Even so it's legitimate to ask why so many people (including those who understand it's satirical/critical nature) enjoy dwelling in a fantasy world of this sort. It is clearly very appealing - there are books and video games, and many people don't even play the table-top game but still collect and build the figures. Why? What is so appealing about theocratic fascism that people would choose to spend their free time and disposable income to dwell within it? IMHO it's no coincidence that the first human civilizations were autocratic. It's basically the default form of government. This is a very important, if uncomfortable truth. Too often liberal societies fool themselves into thinking that liberty "just happens" and is "inevitable", a feature of the natural world, requiring no effort from the individuals that compose it. This is not just foolish but destructive. It is why, for example, that fascism rises in democracies like the US even though the vast majority do not support it: the majority doesn't bother to vote, thinking they don't have to.

pigeons 3y ago
Check out David Graeber and David Winslow's book, The Dawn of Everything regarding the autocratic default form of government assumption. Of course the books suggestions and conclusions are arguable, but I found it interesting.
robertlagrant 3y ago
Check out Konstantin Kisin's a Love Letter To The West, for a perspective from someone who grew up under Socialism.
mortenjorck 3y ago
For the most part, it's likely just the allure of roleplaying as the black hat, same as the GTA games. When some friends and I were really into Dawn of War for awhile, we often had a good laugh speaking to each other in the absolutist language of the Imperium. Perhaps there is also something a bit alluring in the fantasy of being a zealot, though. To be untroubled by the nuances of a complicated world, serving only as an extension of the Emperor's glorious might, has a certain perverse simplicity to it.
ilyt 3y ago
> What is so appealing about theocratic fascism that people would choose to spend their free time and disposable income to dwell within it? Yiu might as well ask "why people choose playing bad guy in (c)RPG" ? Because it is something different than the usuall Also it's most about cool shit the whatever faction you like do. The misery of the world is only a background to show the unimaginable scale of the conflict in the world where a seed of chaos or genestealers in a small community can lead to entire planet being doomed if not handled appropriately. The stakes are massive and the conflict is on awesome scale. > IMHO it's no coincidence that the first human civilizations were autocratic. It's basically the default form of government. This is a very important message to spread because too often liberal societies fool themselves into thinking that liberty "just happens" and is "inevitable", a feature of the natural world, requiring no effort from the individuals that compose it. This is not just foolish but destructive. It is why, for example, that fascism rises in democracies like the US even though the vast majority do not support it: they don't even bother to vote, thinking they don't have to. I think that's spot on; also most people don't really want to be bothered to run the bigger scale as long as their lives are fine enough (from their perspective, as they might not know any better). Like society when everyone is involved in every decision on wider area (let's say small city) would be obnoxious enough, every fucking day there would be half a dozen issues to decide upon so that would naturally evolve to deciding to pick (and pay for their trouble) some people to deal with some kind of issue and as it is hard to know who would be good at, the most charismatic one wins...

pigeons 3y ago

Check out David Graeber and David Winslow's book, The Dawn of Everything regarding the autocratic default form of government assumption. Of course the books suggestions and conclusions are arguable, but I found it interesting.

robertlagrant 3y ago

Check out Konstantin Kisin's a Love Letter To The West, for a perspective from someone who grew up under Socialism.

mortenjorck 3y ago

For the most part, it's likely just the allure of roleplaying as the black hat, same as the GTA games. When some friends and I were really into Dawn of War for awhile, we often had a good laugh speaking to each other in the absolutist language of the Imperium. Perhaps there is also something a bit alluring in the fantasy of being a zealot, though. To be untroubled by the nuances of a complicated world, serving only as an extension of the Emperor's glorious might, has a certain perverse simplicity to it.

ilyt 3y ago

> What is so appealing about theocratic fascism that people would choose to spend their free time and disposable income to dwell within it? Yiu might as well ask "why people choose playing bad guy in (c)RPG" ? Because it is something different than the usuall Also it's most about cool shit the whatever faction you like do. The misery of the world is only a background to show the unimaginable scale of the conflict in the world where a seed of chaos or genestealers in a small community can lead to entire planet being doomed if not handled appropriately. The stakes are massive and the conflict is on awesome scale. > IMHO it's no coincidence that the first human civilizations were autocratic. It's basically the default form of government. This is a very important message to spread because too often liberal societies fool themselves into thinking that liberty "just happens" and is "inevitable", a feature of the natural world, requiring no effort from the individuals that compose it. This is not just foolish but destructive. It is why, for example, that fascism rises in democracies like the US even though the vast majority do not support it: they don't even bother to vote, thinking they don't have to. I think that's spot on; also most people don't really want to be bothered to run the bigger scale as long as their lives are fine enough (from their perspective, as they might not know any better). Like society when everyone is involved in every decision on wider area (let's say small city) would be obnoxious enough, every fucking day there would be half a dozen issues to decide upon so that would naturally evolve to deciding to pick (and pay for their trouble) some people to deal with some kind of issue and as it is hard to know who would be good at, the most charismatic one wins...