Tomat0 @tomat0@mastodon.social

Took so long, but finally finished another essay. This one is regarding communist class-theory in the present age.

https://blog.tomat0.me/main/concept-of-class

Perhaps it makes for an "interesting" intellectual exercise, but the reflection will lead nowhere, only giving room for the individual to postpone action.

Does it really matter whether or not predestination is real? Regardless of the answer, the command given to us remains the same; these grand questions are for the Lord to handle. We are still to act, bearing the sense of duty of one who has all the free will in the world.

Their fear of immanent critique renders them powerless against the march of modernity, only able to ever grasp things in mere form rather than essence. They'd rather cling to a false foundation than pass through the uncertainty that leads us to the truth.

Polishing up a take I had earlier:

If reactionaries were serious about combatting social decay, they'd engage with critical theory rather than circlejerking over "trad" iconography.

The dismissal of Keynesianism and the leftism of the 60s was presented as an advancement over the previous generation. Ronald Reagan was just as "progressive" as FDR in this context. Sitcoms of the time such as Family Ties played on this, presenting the hippies as out of touch.

These walks aren't entirely "random", as the development of society/historiography is influenced by many separate, but still very real factors. But we can still point to examples of walk-backs, most notably the emergence of neoliberal ideology in the 1980s.

In attempting to justify his theory of Whig History, Moldbug ends up dismissing (see below) what is probably the correct explanation for the phenomena he describes.

By making the experience something exclusive, something that requires full focus, it helps reclaim as something unto itself rather than an accessory to work.

I've come to realize how much potential rhythm games hold as a genre. Music is often passively enjoyed, set in the background to some other activity, yet rhythm games turn it into an experience which requires and is defined by active engagement.

#Unbeatable blows every other rhythm game I've played out of the water. Every single aspect of it blends so well: the art, the (limited) dialogue, the music, the gameplay. Everything feels purposeful, and only holds meaning when put together.

Bringing this back to more concrete terms, I'll cite the example of the musician Pogo. Are his views condemnable? Sure. Do they poison his work? I don't think so, because people are multifaceted and the parts of himself he chose to display in his music aren't.

A creator can have a history or hold views which are toxic without it poisoning the art itself. It's dependent on what facets of their character and environment reflect in the work itself, and how we ourselves are capable of engaging with and transforming that meaning.

However, at the same time, the audience is capable of appropriating and shaping its meaning from their own personal relationship to it. This is important because it breaks down the barrier between consumer and producer, allowing for a reciprocal relationship to emerge.

On one hand, it is inherently political in that it has to be considered in the social context of its creation and consumption. Often times these clues can help us in developing an analysis which cuts deeper to its meaning. Criticism is applicable to all forms of art, high and low.

Art is a form of two-way communication. Its meaning is just as much dependent on the audience as it is on the creator.

Taking some time to work on the New Campaign Trail project, and a mod to go with it. Probably going to have my other projects on hiatus in the meantime.

https://newcampaigntrail.github.io/newcampaigntrail/www.americanhistoryusa.com/campaign-trail/index.html

@ton I saw your exchange on federated bookshelves with other people and wondered, have you looked into @Readlebee? It's a project looking to add federation via ActivityPub.

I've begun work on my website's landing page, the desktop template is done.

https://tomat0.me/

Site's back up.