When I first read about #Accelerate (the book), I was deeply skeptical (important note: I haven't read it, so I hold this opinion loosely). Just feels like 'left accelerationism' is totally contradictory somehow, and I found myself resonating with pretty much all of the opinions in the 'Criticism and Counter Theories' section.
It's a tricky one. One the one hand, I agree with Žiżek and probably even Srnicek and Williams in that I feel the left has been totally immobilised and I fear that dark forests, cosy communities, localism, etc. aren't effective enough responses/strategies. But employing accelerationism as a strategy for the left feels like playing into the hands of the enemy (the enemy being Capital) somehow? Where does that leave me lol
Thank you so much, @Vienna Kim! Yeah, I agree. It’s so tricky; I won’t pretend to have the answers. I’m skeptical of any tyrannical accelerationist position, left or right, because a) none feel realistic, and b) they too easily reproduce neoliberal logics. On the other hand, I think positions that advocate avoiding/forbidding all forms of acceleration won’t be viable in a contemporary context, given the scope and scale of our emergencies.
I’m left feeling like the left does need to embrace acceleration as an intermittent tactic, but with an incredible degree of care, hand on the e-brake…I’m just unsure if that’s feasible (ever, but especially now). But then, the polycrisis is intensifying so rapidly it may have in fact foreclosed our option not to use accelerationist tactics, sooooo around the merry-go-round we go, lol.
ahaha totally get what you’re saying and i’m inclined to feel the same way, though perhaps slightly regrettably. thank you for your thoughtful response - appreciate you and all your work, Jesse!
Accelerationism aka myopic insanity by tech weirdoes! Heard this BS before and the earth is dying! F’ so called Progress! We need to put the breaks on hi-tech - especially AI! But because money rules - we will all have to suffer because of billionaires and the little tech dorks trying to out do each other. Yuck Suck. I liked it better when dumb jocks ruled - at ;;east then you could avoid them/their crap. It truly is Revenge of the Nerd incels!
SUCH a good primer, Jesse, thank you so much!
When I first read about #Accelerate (the book), I was deeply skeptical (important note: I haven't read it, so I hold this opinion loosely). Just feels like 'left accelerationism' is totally contradictory somehow, and I found myself resonating with pretty much all of the opinions in the 'Criticism and Counter Theories' section.
It's a tricky one. One the one hand, I agree with Žiżek and probably even Srnicek and Williams in that I feel the left has been totally immobilised and I fear that dark forests, cosy communities, localism, etc. aren't effective enough responses/strategies. But employing accelerationism as a strategy for the left feels like playing into the hands of the enemy (the enemy being Capital) somehow? Where does that leave me lol
Thank you so much, @Vienna Kim! Yeah, I agree. It’s so tricky; I won’t pretend to have the answers. I’m skeptical of any tyrannical accelerationist position, left or right, because a) none feel realistic, and b) they too easily reproduce neoliberal logics. On the other hand, I think positions that advocate avoiding/forbidding all forms of acceleration won’t be viable in a contemporary context, given the scope and scale of our emergencies.
I’m left feeling like the left does need to embrace acceleration as an intermittent tactic, but with an incredible degree of care, hand on the e-brake…I’m just unsure if that’s feasible (ever, but especially now). But then, the polycrisis is intensifying so rapidly it may have in fact foreclosed our option not to use accelerationist tactics, sooooo around the merry-go-round we go, lol.
ahaha totally get what you’re saying and i’m inclined to feel the same way, though perhaps slightly regrettably. thank you for your thoughtful response - appreciate you and all your work, Jesse!
Accelerationism aka myopic insanity by tech weirdoes! Heard this BS before and the earth is dying! F’ so called Progress! We need to put the breaks on hi-tech - especially AI! But because money rules - we will all have to suffer because of billionaires and the little tech dorks trying to out do each other. Yuck Suck. I liked it better when dumb jocks ruled - at ;;east then you could avoid them/their crap. It truly is Revenge of the Nerd incels!