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The Rise of Techno-Tribalism
2 years ago
I’m not well, so I will formulate my thoughts as quickly as possible: I’ve recently thought about science fiction and its portrayal to the future. The dominant idea seems to be that we’re going to live in a 1950s idea of a shiny chromatic utopia where everyone wears spandex one-piece bodysuits and everyone goes to work in a flying car all while robots clean our houses and spaceships explore our solar system (“Forbidden Planet”, “Star Trek” and “Lost in Space” come to mind). Like all utopias, this vision of the future is utterly inflexible and offers a lackluster understanding of human nature. The shiny chromatic 1950s utopia actually says a lot more about the 1950s than it does about the actual future (in the same way how the story “The World of Airships” from the 1900s represented the 1900s and not the actual year 2000 in which the story was set. Nobody in 1900 used airships to get to work or used a “bookifier” to project books straight into their heads).
The other dominant idea is that we’re all going to live in a “Mad Max” like dystopia (maybe after a gigantic war, an alien invasion, zombie outburst or a massive virus plague happened etc.) where people have to kill each other for fuel and bread. Now, Africa is most often portrayed like Hollywood to be like the desert from “Mad Max”, this is however false. We have technology, cities and even law and functioning governments (in most places, there are war-torn regions though). Now, I can guarantee you that I never wore black leather armor and I never swore loyalty to the great and mighty Lord Humungus. It has become common for even primitive tribes to use modern technology (it’s no rarity in the Congo to see tribesmen who use laptops and modern smartphones while still wearing their traditional garb and living a basically ancient lifestyle).
I personally believe that both of these visions of the future are false: we will neither live in a “Star Trek” like utopia nor will we go back to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Advanced electronic technology is too far spread and well-known by now and a complete global collapse has become highly unlikely. Even if – let’s say – the European Union would be destroyed by a hostile force or Asia would be bombarded by nukes and most people would die off, this wouldn’t mean the end of advanced technology on a global scale. Technology is too useful: it grants its owner too many abilities and powers. Humans have used tools since the earliest days and what is technology other than another tool of man? No, technology is obviously here to stay (unless something wipes out every single human on Earth or some unforeseeable event changes all humans into mindless beasts).
I believe that the third option is the most likely: let’s call it “techno-tribalism” (something along the lines of “Dune” or “Warhammer 40K”) lifestyle. Advanced technology continues to exist and is widely used, but society itself actually resembles older civilizations (by having specific rituals, customs, beliefs and a tribal understanding of existence), not “Star Trek”. I don’t mean “tribalism” in the “hunter-gatherer” usage of the word, I mean “tribalism” in the sense that like-minded people will ally themselves and identity will be dominated by one’s characteristics, not a newer form of social liberalism. I’ve recently had an interesting discussion with a Berber friend. He pointed out that technology has become very important for them for all kinds of purposes: from cooking to cleaning teeth to communication, technology has enhanced their lives in many ways and its usage will go up if anything. They are however not willing to give up their native ways of living in favor of a Western lifestyle. They look at Europe and they are horrified by the catastrophic and disastrous effects of radical consumerism and nihilism. They see a culture which has abandoned itself and is now literally dying out. I’ve visited several hospitals in Germany and I was appalled to realize that many of these hospitals have abandoned their nurseries and kindergartens because too few children get born. One older German gentleman who works as a Priest once told me that he has to constantly perform at funerals but he barely if ever has anything to do with baptism, the reason for this is the population collapse in Germany (there are 1.6 births per woman in 2023, far too few to maintain Germany in the long run). Now, I don’t want to invoke the picture that I’m alone with my criticism: there are many people in the West who openly agree with me about the current situation in the West. The current European path leads to decay, death and eventual extinction.
“Modernization without Westernization” has recently become a popular slogan both in Asia and Africa for these very reasons. People want technology but they also don’t want to give up their ancient cultures, religions and traditions. And I believe that this is the future of humanity in the long-term. There won’t be a Captain Picard but there might be a Paul Atreides. The reasons for this are very obvious by now: the most basic task which every society has is to maintain and continue itself. Humans are inherently religious beings, empty consumerism can never fill that spiritual vacuum, consumerism is also not a viable lifestyle because its toll on flora and fauna is way too destructive and lasting (I believe that we’ll eventually see either a complete abandonment of consumerism or the rise of digital consumerism, this means that consumerism will exist, but not in physical form, but in digital form, to conserve resources). Secularism doesn’t work because it proposes that religion and state can be divided, which basically just means that the state will de fact take the place of religion (I point you to France’s recent history if you want to see where this eventually ends). Nationalism is ridiculous for many reasons: there are no lines in nature and everyone with the slightest grasp of history realizes that our modern idea of nationalism is about 200 years old (before then “nation” referred to one’s people, not a fictional state entity. A “nation” was a specific people, not an abstract concept). Secularism, anti-natalism and nationalism and will eventually all go the way of the dinosaur. For the people who are asking “will the future be left-wing or right-wing” as far as politics go, I will answer with “neither”. “Left-wing” and “right-wing” are 18th century concepts which will be irrelevant in the coming future. Just ask yourself this: who today belongs to the “optimates” and a “populares”? The answer of course is: nobody. These political terms mean nothing to someone in 2023 and the people who used these terms died out many centuries ago (we're in fact not even sure what exactly these terms originally meant).
The other dominant idea is that we’re all going to live in a “Mad Max” like dystopia (maybe after a gigantic war, an alien invasion, zombie outburst or a massive virus plague happened etc.) where people have to kill each other for fuel and bread. Now, Africa is most often portrayed like Hollywood to be like the desert from “Mad Max”, this is however false. We have technology, cities and even law and functioning governments (in most places, there are war-torn regions though). Now, I can guarantee you that I never wore black leather armor and I never swore loyalty to the great and mighty Lord Humungus. It has become common for even primitive tribes to use modern technology (it’s no rarity in the Congo to see tribesmen who use laptops and modern smartphones while still wearing their traditional garb and living a basically ancient lifestyle).
I personally believe that both of these visions of the future are false: we will neither live in a “Star Trek” like utopia nor will we go back to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Advanced electronic technology is too far spread and well-known by now and a complete global collapse has become highly unlikely. Even if – let’s say – the European Union would be destroyed by a hostile force or Asia would be bombarded by nukes and most people would die off, this wouldn’t mean the end of advanced technology on a global scale. Technology is too useful: it grants its owner too many abilities and powers. Humans have used tools since the earliest days and what is technology other than another tool of man? No, technology is obviously here to stay (unless something wipes out every single human on Earth or some unforeseeable event changes all humans into mindless beasts).
I believe that the third option is the most likely: let’s call it “techno-tribalism” (something along the lines of “Dune” or “Warhammer 40K”) lifestyle. Advanced technology continues to exist and is widely used, but society itself actually resembles older civilizations (by having specific rituals, customs, beliefs and a tribal understanding of existence), not “Star Trek”. I don’t mean “tribalism” in the “hunter-gatherer” usage of the word, I mean “tribalism” in the sense that like-minded people will ally themselves and identity will be dominated by one’s characteristics, not a newer form of social liberalism. I’ve recently had an interesting discussion with a Berber friend. He pointed out that technology has become very important for them for all kinds of purposes: from cooking to cleaning teeth to communication, technology has enhanced their lives in many ways and its usage will go up if anything. They are however not willing to give up their native ways of living in favor of a Western lifestyle. They look at Europe and they are horrified by the catastrophic and disastrous effects of radical consumerism and nihilism. They see a culture which has abandoned itself and is now literally dying out. I’ve visited several hospitals in Germany and I was appalled to realize that many of these hospitals have abandoned their nurseries and kindergartens because too few children get born. One older German gentleman who works as a Priest once told me that he has to constantly perform at funerals but he barely if ever has anything to do with baptism, the reason for this is the population collapse in Germany (there are 1.6 births per woman in 2023, far too few to maintain Germany in the long run). Now, I don’t want to invoke the picture that I’m alone with my criticism: there are many people in the West who openly agree with me about the current situation in the West. The current European path leads to decay, death and eventual extinction.
“Modernization without Westernization” has recently become a popular slogan both in Asia and Africa for these very reasons. People want technology but they also don’t want to give up their ancient cultures, religions and traditions. And I believe that this is the future of humanity in the long-term. There won’t be a Captain Picard but there might be a Paul Atreides. The reasons for this are very obvious by now: the most basic task which every society has is to maintain and continue itself. Humans are inherently religious beings, empty consumerism can never fill that spiritual vacuum, consumerism is also not a viable lifestyle because its toll on flora and fauna is way too destructive and lasting (I believe that we’ll eventually see either a complete abandonment of consumerism or the rise of digital consumerism, this means that consumerism will exist, but not in physical form, but in digital form, to conserve resources). Secularism doesn’t work because it proposes that religion and state can be divided, which basically just means that the state will de fact take the place of religion (I point you to France’s recent history if you want to see where this eventually ends). Nationalism is ridiculous for many reasons: there are no lines in nature and everyone with the slightest grasp of history realizes that our modern idea of nationalism is about 200 years old (before then “nation” referred to one’s people, not a fictional state entity. A “nation” was a specific people, not an abstract concept). Secularism, anti-natalism and nationalism and will eventually all go the way of the dinosaur. For the people who are asking “will the future be left-wing or right-wing” as far as politics go, I will answer with “neither”. “Left-wing” and “right-wing” are 18th century concepts which will be irrelevant in the coming future. Just ask yourself this: who today belongs to the “optimates” and a “populares”? The answer of course is: nobody. These political terms mean nothing to someone in 2023 and the people who used these terms died out many centuries ago (we're in fact not even sure what exactly these terms originally meant).
The West: Fuck you, brown people! you believe in God? You fucking losers ROFL
Also the West: We're barren. Brown people, give us your kids!
Once actual hardship is again encountered many fields of technology will shift focus drastically; emissions controls on engines which destroy the engine and consume additional fuel, 'water saving' programming which simply forces you to flush the toilet or wash your clothes two or three times, crash test standards which make vehicles horribly unergonomic...
Priorities shift, but utility always asserts itself.
"There are no solutions, only trade-offs."
I agree that 'left' and 'right' are largely meaningless for how much thought is wasted on their distinction. They only differ slightly in organization while being nigh interchangeable collectivism in practice. Maybe that's their useful purpose. Like how wars are handy because they allow those on top to kill off all the rowdy young upstarts who may rabblerouse if left to their own devices.
How are you not well, physical disease or just the general gloomy outlook that pondering society forms?
I have to admit that reading Gaetano Mosca and James Burnham has greatly influenced my views on politics. Their “elite theory” (the idea that power is always consolidated by the few who control the money and resources) makes more sense than any other political theory I’ve ever come across. This theory also postulates that fighting between “left” and “right” are ultimately fruitless (since both serve elite interests and if they don’t, they are brought into line with the system) and mostly exist to either entertain the powerful or distract the public. I’m from Africa and that’s basically how our societies are run: most people have abandoned the idea of having any political power or influence at all. Or to quote my local Priest: “We have the illusion of freedom; they have the illusion of power”.
Oh, I don’t think that my outlook is that gloomy! I believe that current developments are much better than our alternatives! I had a surgery at the end of last year and I constantly suffer from issues ever since. I recently even lost consciousness and fell down on a glass table. I’m thankfully big and robust, otherwise this might have killed me.