Over the past week or two I’ve been kicking around the idea of “accelerationism” — that the best way forward for this rotting society is to give its most destructive factions free rein, so as to make the disease progress so rapidly, and to such extremes, that it either provokes, at last, an “immune response” from the millions of decent Americans who, by voting in so-called “progressives”, have let it get this far; or forces the whole bloated, unsustainably evil thing to collapse at last, allowing us to begin to build something new from the ashes.
Well, after lively debate — with, among others, Bill Vallicella, Vito Caiati, our commenter ‘mharko’, and my own brother David (who is a man of exceptional intelligence and sound moral instinct) — I’m persuaded that it isn’t the right way forward. Even from a purely strategic, instrumentalist stance it’s an even bet at best; and from a moral point of view I simply cannot endorse evil, even for the chance of drawing the Devil into a tactical overreach. Moreover, the acceleration’s happening anyway, and our energy will best be spent cultivating our strength, husbanding our resources, improving our defenses, forming networks of resistance, preparing for the crisis, and building whatever arks and fastnesses we can to endure the storm, and to cherish and preserve that which we will need to carry the light forward.
So: accelerationism? I’m out. Thank you all for helping me to make up my mind.
6 Comments
Thank you, Malcolm, for presenting a coherent and vigorous argument in favor of accelerationism; by doing so, you dispelled any false illusions about purging the anti-civilizational Left from the civic and cultural power centers of the nation, at least for the foreseeable future, and you allowed us to refine our thoughts and bring them in better alignment with our moral sensibilities. We are all in this together, so your efforts to deepen the discussion is very welcomed.
Thank you, too, Vito, for so clearly expressing what I have now come to believe is the correct position.
I’m inclined to agree with you, Malcolm, although I keep changing my mind every few months as better or worse news comes to hand. In any case, my philosophical opinion about accelerationism is pretty much immaterial at this point. We seem to be on an irresistible path to acceleration. I believe we’re getting it whether we want it or not. For now, I’m more concerned about being ready than about being ‘right’.
Malcolm, this paragraph in your previous post is the aspect where I have fallen down the most in my life:
“As for the second, the argument is that, under a Christian understanding at least, this period of crisis and passion is inevitable, but it is precisely during such a moment in history when we are required to be Christlike; to remain faithful to what we know in our hearts to be good and right and true, even if the whole world seems to be mocking it all and throwing it back in our faces.”
I was raised Christian-Methodist- and remain a ‘back row’ Methodist even now. Turn the other cheek was usually lost on me in favor of ‘you round up yours and we’ll round up ours and settle this thing for good or ill’. I will soon turn 76 and I can report it is tiring to fight inner urges vs ‘good right and true’.
It is best to resist and fight.
Speaking of ‘acceleration’ or lack thereof, Chicago has installed its ‘new’ ‘progressive’ mayor or rent seeker more likely. To listen to him talk utter jibberish to a population dying away from the ‘progressivism’ he espouses is an exercise in nihilism plain and simple IMO. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at Americans doing this to themselves.