My life is like a child's illusions become reality. KanYe West, ‘See Me Now’, from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010. An imaginary speech for concluding the National Conservatism Conference, London, 15-17 May 2023. Media sources claim this Conference is unwelcoming to views that are in any way ‘left-wing’ — either Marxist or linked to … Continue reading National Conservatism as Marxism-Leninism: A genuine proposition for thought and political practice
Tag: Socialism
The fourth wave: A feminist manifesto for ‘incels’
The feminist movement, as conceived in popular consciousness, has gone through three waves. The first wave brought political rights to women after the First World War, and was preceded by both peaceful and direct-action protest — labelled effectively as terrorism at the time by the patriarchal press. The second wave brought economic rights to women … Continue reading The fourth wave: A feminist manifesto for ‘incels’
How capitalism ends
First published on 14 September 2020. There are several dimensions to the supposed demise of capitalism. There are two developments and two critical contradictions behind the system’s present afflictions. Capitalism may end, however, in two different ways—one of which less an end to capitalism than a return to a different form of capitalism. Lastly, if … Continue reading How capitalism ends
The balance of power and the pull of extremes
I would like to discuss, as I have many times before, the importance of balance in the context of political action. It is a decisive tendency in contemporary politics to swing towards one extreme or another, without really breaking out of the broad-based ‘neoliberal’ paradigm in which we live. Any vote seems eventually to produce … Continue reading The balance of power and the pull of extremes
Conservatism against capitalism: A realistic manifesto
One of the most prominent philosophers in the conservative canon is Edmund Burke, critic of the French revolution and its high-minded ideals. This Burkean critique of revolution is then applied to left reform policies today to justify maintaining a crumbling status quo. But this move is illegitimate, for reasons that lie in Burke’s own Reflections … Continue reading Conservatism against capitalism: A realistic manifesto
A winter’s tale: The allegory of the house of freedom
We’ve walked along history’s road. We’re naked and freezing—but at least we can see with our eyes. Then, we are blindfolded, taken to another part of the road, and given a warm coat. Once, we had pain and knowledge. Now, we have pleasure and ignorance. Once, we were chattel slaves, and we were told as … Continue reading A winter’s tale: The allegory of the house of freedom
What we don’t know: Between planning and possibility
The limits of knowledge occupy a central position in political and economic thought. Hayek’s arguments against state control of the economy rested on the limited knowledge of any individual or organisation about the total economic data of a given society. This problem, the problem of what we don’t know, demanded an institution distributed enough to … Continue reading What we don’t know: Between planning and possibility
The fusion manifesto: Against corona capitalism, for a better world
Corona capitalism has dawned. Self-isolation is the norm. 'Work from home' is the rule. And hell is anon. What kind of hell, you may well ask? A hell of fission, or separation among institutions and people. Yet this hell is not totally knew. On the contrary: fission is the default of capitalism, which began with … Continue reading The fusion manifesto: Against corona capitalism, for a better world
The diamond theory of everything
What matters? What matters historically? What matters morally? These questions plague any politically- or philosophically-minded person. In his magnum opus, On What Matters, philosopher Derek Parfit considered the last question: what matters morally? Parfit’s answer relates to what I’m going to consider in this post, but it’s not too central. For Parfit, moral statements are … Continue reading The diamond theory of everything
The diamond theory of everything (old version)
What matters? What matters historically? What matters morally? These questions plague any politically- or philosophically-minded person. In his magnum opus, On What Matters, philosopher Derek Parfit considered the last question: what matters morally? Parfit's answer relates to what I'm going to consider in this post, but it's not too central. For Parfit, moral statements are … Continue reading The diamond theory of everything (old version)
Edmund Wilson 