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   Dave Rahardja (drahardja@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 11:59:16 JST Dave Rahardja

   • Cory Doctorow

   Another great read from @pluralistic about the reason that disaster fantasies are popular among the right: it replaces actual disasters caused by *systemic problems* with imaginary disasters to be solved by *individuals*, which in turn elevate the status of the prepper to a one-man (let’s face it, it’s usually a man) hero who saves the day.

   It also strikes me that the #TESCREAL nonsense that #AI techbros seem to gravitate to is just another flavor of this prepper story: why bother saving eight billion real humans today when you can save countless trillions of potential humans tomorrow by building a treasure trove that you deploy into your favorite technologies? You’re not a profit-driven resource hoarder—you’re a #longtermism one-man superhero!

   https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/24/mall-ninja-prophecy/#mano-a-mano

   • Cory Doctorow repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     StevenSavage (he/him) (stevensavage@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 11:59:15 JST StevenSavage (he/him)

     in reply to

     @drahardja @pluralistic it really does fit doesn't it? It's all individualistic, ignores the real causes AND is about blame.

     The people who made and benefit from this messed up system don't want to look at what they did AND don't want anyone else looking at them. So this fits too.

     This is where the climate change issues and probable pandemic(s) is going to get real nasty. I expect Weather Control to actually come up in congress from more than MTG, and any pandemic will have so much bullshit that we'll see a higher body count.

   • Embed this notice
     Dave Rahardja (drahardja@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 12:10:55 JST Dave Rahardja

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow

     @pluralistic And tangentially, it jibes also with why Critical Race Theory and Wokeness are perceived as such a threat by the right: these concepts rightly call attention to a broken and perverse *system* which cannot be fixed by individual action. I can see how this may be deeply offensive to people who fear giving up their main-character status in their head canons, and balk at the prospect of being forced to cooperate with others to solve a problem.

     Cory Doctorow and Cory Doctorow repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     merlin / alex glow (alexglow@chaos.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 12:33:10 JST merlin / alex glow

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow

     @drahardja @pluralistic Yes! Plus, the fantasy is better at confirming their self-image as the plucky underdog: cf. M*sk incessantly tweeting lines from Star Wars, as though he weren't Palpatine's #2. They want to see themselves as Solo while voting for Vader.

     Robert Link repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Xenofact (he/him):jrbd: (revxenofact@dobbs.town)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 12:33:11 JST Xenofact (he/him):jrbd:

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow

     @drahardja @pluralistic In reading Taoist philosohpy there's a lot of emphasis on leading from behind, subtlety, and the risks of fame and praise. I think one reason Taoism never got real popular - or got hacked into New Age BS - is that it's basically anti-grift, anti-self aggrandizemenent, and often about humility.

   • Embed this notice
     Axomamma (axomamma@mastodon.online)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 12:45:36 JST Axomamma

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow
     • merlin / alex glow

     @alexglow @drahardja @pluralistic Have you people never seen "popular culture"? It's all disaster fantasy all the time. Murder! Mayhem! Horror!

     The "problem" with rightwing assholes and tech bros (but I repeat myself) is not "disaster fantasy," it's that they're assholes who can't distinguish between "fantasy" and "real life."

     Cory Doctorow repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     merlin / alex glow (alexglow@chaos.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 12:45:36 JST merlin / alex glow

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow
     • Axomamma

     @Axomamma @drahardja @pluralistic The "disaster fantasy" referred to here is not fiction, but people prepping for real-life scenarios that they imagine will supposedly mirror those in media – rather than confronting the Boring Dystopia already going on all around us, which has a decidedly less glamorous solution: collective, not individual; gradual, not climactic.

   • Embed this notice
     k3ym𖺀 (k3ym0@infosec.exchange)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 13:31:30 JST k3ym𖺀

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow

     @drahardja @pluralistic the doomsday prepper mentality poses a challenging dichotomy for me now. Me, like many others, are terrified of what will come to pass over the next four years, and are trying to figure out how best to prepare.

     It seems as though the main difference between the two groups of preppers is simply their perception of reality.

     Oh and also one group isn't bigots, so there's that.

     Cory Doctorow repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Dave Rahardja (drahardja@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 14:11:23 JST Dave Rahardja

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow
     • k3ym𖺀

     @k3ym0 @pluralistic The difference to me: preppers on the right *withdraw* into their private bunkers, hoard weapons and food, and arm themselves to defend against the hordes.

     Preppers on the left *come out* of their private bunkers, and build connections and mutual aid networks with each other, share resources, and arm the community with supply lines to defend against the plunderers.

     We can prepare for the coming years by coming together with others in our community and pledging solidarity and support for each other, and working together to defend and improve the system.

   • Embed this notice
     RiaResists (riaresists@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 15:03:51 JST RiaResists

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow
     • Nicole Parsons
     • merlin / alex glow

     @Npars01 @alexglow @drahardja @pluralistic
     This is it. We are experiencing the #zombieapocolypse
     It’s actually happening.

   • Embed this notice
     Nicole Parsons (npars01@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Nov-2024 15:03:53 JST Nicole Parsons

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow
     • merlin / alex glow

     @alexglow @drahardja @pluralistic

     The world these billionaires are building is just a run of the mill political machine for public corruption.

     No different than Tamanny Hall, Huey Long, or Putin.

     Loyalty to the Leader above all else...
     https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/eric-schmitt-trump-immediately-fire-doj-staff-1235179106/

     https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senator-markwayne-mullin-blocks-promotion-lt-gen-christopher-donahue-afghanistan-withdrawal/

     https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5006946-gop-rep-pushes-back-on-hegseths-idea-to-fire-woke-generals/

     https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/bill-hagerty-background-checks-trump-cabinet-rcna181557

     https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/20/mandate-fuller-election-results-increasingly-show-gop-gains-were-small/

     Cory Doctorow repeated this.