Our era is characterised by a phenomenon I term ultratotalitarianism. It is the culmination of the logic of modernity, a long process of surpassing the unity of Christianity with capitalist anarchy, backed up by state authority. The dynamism of the market economy and the stability of the modern state constitute the two pillars of modern … Continue reading Ultratotalitarianism: The great evil of our times, and why we must fight it
Tag: Market
From fission to fusion: The technological germ of a future past
Sociology follows technology. This has always been clear, as much as the following truth: politics follows economics. In language derived from seventeenth-century political theorist James Harrington, the ‘superstructure’ follows the ‘foundation’ of society. According to Harrington’s principle of ‘ballance’, the structure of politics follows the structure of the material world underpinning it. And according to … Continue reading From fission to fusion: The technological germ of a future past
A modern Achilles: The savings glut and the paradox of capitalist development
I would like to consider a paradox. On the one hand, prices are driven by demand for the product, and thus for the expenditure of savings from the income of labour. On the other hand, prices are shaped by the accumulation of savings which are diverted from ordinary spending to extraordinary spending on financial commodities. … Continue reading A modern Achilles: The savings glut and the paradox of capitalist development
The Omnicrisis
The world is beset not by one crisis, nor by many crises, but by the crisis of the Whole. The distance between consciousness and subconsciousness has collapsed. Taboo is now broken and reasserted as if it were nothing (well, technically, it is). Institutions are ripped up and put back together again. Crises are asserted and … Continue reading The Omnicrisis
The market is a weapon
I have spoken a lot about capitalism, states, and conflict in the modern world. But I have also been talking about music, and the market of music. I have been dismissive of the values of liberalism as separate from the market. Liberalism is a form of market alienation, taking the structure of the market and … Continue reading The market is a weapon
The Playlist Episode 1 Review: The Spotify Music Network Is Not All It Seems. Is it?
Netflix has been busy. As the Crown is on the cusp of release to investigate the career of Diana Spencer, deceased ex-wife of Charles III, the new Carolingian age is anticipated by another TV series which echoes the brilliance of the 2010s series The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg as the young Mark Zuckerberg, who … Continue reading The Playlist Episode 1 Review: The Spotify Music Network Is Not All It Seems. Is it?
Neumann’s ‘Behemoth’ and the rebirth of totalitarian-monopoly capitalism
Franz Neumann published one of the earliest books on the totalitarian state, entitled Behemoth. It is a startling representation of the divided state of Nazi Germany, one that challenges established conventions on totalitarianism. According to conventional interpretations both then and now, totalitarianism represents a singular entity, a powerful state echoing the ‘reall Unitie’ of Hobbes’ … Continue reading Neumann’s ‘Behemoth’ and the rebirth of totalitarian-monopoly capitalism
The evolution of political positions
In order to grasp the concept of the evolution of political ideas, let me consider a concrete case. The accelerationist case, from University of Cambridge. I was a centrist Liberal Democrat in my school years. Then I studied philosophy largely on my own, and became a left-wing Labour supporter in my undergraduate years, studying politics. … Continue reading The evolution of political positions
Why the left is so divided
First published on 23rd June 2022. What does it mean to be ‘left-wing’? Nowadays, buzzwords like ‘oppression’ and ‘inequality’ have replaced the old left-wing theories of ‘exploitation’ and ‘alienation’. Contrary to right-wing mantra, Marxism is out of fashion on the left — who on the left seriously reads Capital and cites the labour theory of … Continue reading Why the left is so divided
My predictions in 2022 and how they’re doing
I’ve made a few predictions about politics and music this year. Let’s see how they’re doing. Andromeda. That Liz Truss probably wouldn’t become British PM — completely wrong; my domestic political skills are found wanting — though I did note the Party was swinging towards Truss’ position. I never calculated how far. Lesson: Never underestimate … Continue reading My predictions in 2022 and how they’re doing
Edmund Wilson 