"To minimize suffering and to maximize security were natural and proper ends of society and Caesar. But then they became the only ends, somehow, and the only basis of law—a perversion. Inevitably, then, in seeking only them, we found only their opposites: maximum suffering and minimum security."
Same theme as your post earlier this week re: British economic stagnation. It's easier to act as though living on a wholly insufficient salary with ever declining prospects is a noble feat of endurance. The choice to thug it out, rather than having to face the reality of your own meek surrender.
And as a fellow Zoomer, there really does seem to be a growing culture of outright disdain for progress, with opposition stemming not only from nominal concerns about safety, but a moral sense that it is wrong emphasize progress over contrition.
There can be no pragmatic solution to Israel-Palestine, only an eternally festering wound which serves as a reminder of our inattention to the needs of either party. No averting or softening climate change, only insane, wailing dirges for a planet whose fate is (apparently) already sealed. No hope for a return to advancement and vitality, because Western society is already doomed to decadence.
I do think that space travel serves as the ultimate symbol of this debate. Though I know that is a point of divergence between you and your audience lol, and I'm not accusing your of luddism. But I don't think it's a coincidence that the Scientific Rev + Enlightenment overlapped with the discovery of a new continent.
To disagree on the substance or importance of this argument is one thing. It's another to cast space exploration as an unethical diversion because there are still various inequities in healthcare, wealth, opportunity, etc. There will always be a reason not to go. And moralizing in this way truly is luddism.
Sorry if my wording was unclear, I'm saying that's the attitude of the Doomer Zoomers. Left-wing doomers screech about the dying planet controlled by nefarious capitalists, right-wing doomers screech about degeneracy, decline and the "great replacement."
Neither has any vision for the future, or hopes to establish one. Writhing in self-pity is valued on its own terms.
I kinda suspect that this is a natural result of progress.
We live longer better lives so it's rational to be more genuinely cautious. We have more to lose and less desperate need. And for the most part it's good that we are rich enough to afford OSHA and don't need to send people to work in incredibly unsafe ways to keep the economy working.
However, shouldn't we then be even more positive about progress? Sure, in theory but the problem is we've reached the point where nearly everyone in western countries has mass produced goods. Economies of scale mean that it's no longer access to the newest gadget or mode of transportation or etc that demonstrates wealth. It's buying things that can't be produced with technology that demonstrates real wealth -- be it living away from the factories that make stuff or buying produce that had to be grown without pesticides or GMOs.
It's no different than the way that the fact that art became accessible to the masses pushed the elevation of art works that were hard to appreciate.
I'm not sure how to fix it other than by moving away from mass production so it's no longer the case that progress tends to appear in the mass market (sure you can spend a bit more for a bigger TV but in 5 years it won't be impressive).
"To minimize suffering and to maximize security were natural and proper ends of society and Caesar. But then they became the only ends, somehow, and the only basis of law—a perversion. Inevitably, then, in seeking only them, we found only their opposites: maximum suffering and minimum security."
--Walter Miller, a Canticle for Leibowitz
A rebrandig of the famous: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”
Same theme as your post earlier this week re: British economic stagnation. It's easier to act as though living on a wholly insufficient salary with ever declining prospects is a noble feat of endurance. The choice to thug it out, rather than having to face the reality of your own meek surrender.
And as a fellow Zoomer, there really does seem to be a growing culture of outright disdain for progress, with opposition stemming not only from nominal concerns about safety, but a moral sense that it is wrong emphasize progress over contrition.
There can be no pragmatic solution to Israel-Palestine, only an eternally festering wound which serves as a reminder of our inattention to the needs of either party. No averting or softening climate change, only insane, wailing dirges for a planet whose fate is (apparently) already sealed. No hope for a return to advancement and vitality, because Western society is already doomed to decadence.
I do think that space travel serves as the ultimate symbol of this debate. Though I know that is a point of divergence between you and your audience lol, and I'm not accusing your of luddism. But I don't think it's a coincidence that the Scientific Rev + Enlightenment overlapped with the discovery of a new continent.
To disagree on the substance or importance of this argument is one thing. It's another to cast space exploration as an unethical diversion because there are still various inequities in healthcare, wealth, opportunity, etc. There will always be a reason not to go. And moralizing in this way truly is luddism.
Why do you think it’s already doomed?
Sorry if my wording was unclear, I'm saying that's the attitude of the Doomer Zoomers. Left-wing doomers screech about the dying planet controlled by nefarious capitalists, right-wing doomers screech about degeneracy, decline and the "great replacement."
Neither has any vision for the future, or hopes to establish one. Writhing in self-pity is valued on its own terms.
Victimhood culture
I kinda suspect that this is a natural result of progress.
We live longer better lives so it's rational to be more genuinely cautious. We have more to lose and less desperate need. And for the most part it's good that we are rich enough to afford OSHA and don't need to send people to work in incredibly unsafe ways to keep the economy working.
However, shouldn't we then be even more positive about progress? Sure, in theory but the problem is we've reached the point where nearly everyone in western countries has mass produced goods. Economies of scale mean that it's no longer access to the newest gadget or mode of transportation or etc that demonstrates wealth. It's buying things that can't be produced with technology that demonstrates real wealth -- be it living away from the factories that make stuff or buying produce that had to be grown without pesticides or GMOs.
It's no different than the way that the fact that art became accessible to the masses pushed the elevation of art works that were hard to appreciate.
I'm not sure how to fix it other than by moving away from mass production so it's no longer the case that progress tends to appear in the mass market (sure you can spend a bit more for a bigger TV but in 5 years it won't be impressive).
Yeah some people say it’s a natural result of progress but idk, it’s totally plausible to me wee overly cautious