Dark Enlightenment
A couple of months ago i came across the term Dark Enlightenment for the first time on the Dutch website decorrespondent.nl. I was intrigued. The post, in Dutch, is a short introduction to this movement. Another term for this movement is neoreaction or NRx. It is an antidemocratic and reactionary movement.
There are two main marks for this movement.
- the West is in decline and democracy is a farce
- the ‘cathedral’ of media and science needs to be broken down
Wikipedia provides a short page about the term.
Nick Land ‘s name drops often. The name Dark Enlightenment he drops in the essay The Dark Enlightenment.
To my surprise the name Richard Dawkins is mentioned in this essay. I read his book The God Delusion a couple of weeks ago. I got this book from the heritage of my deceased stepfather. Truly, i didn’t enjoy this book that much. It felt to me to be very angry, extremely argumentative in its tone. Not that i disagree with everything he writes. But, i don’t agree with everything either.
Peter Thiel said in the article The Education of a Libertarian the following:
I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.
Truthfully, i don’t reach a conclusion here. I am born in a left wing family. I still feel like that. But my curiosity is peaked. Still, there are many sides to this movement which i don’t like at all. I don’t have a fully formed theory on our world in its current state. I still need to read the articles i linked to in this post.
This post is a link to what i have found so far. As much a reading list for myself as for you.
The Matrix
Several science fiction creators commented on the film. Author William Gibson, a key figure in cyberpunk fiction, called the film “an innocent delight I hadn’t felt in a long time,” and stated, “Neo is my favourite-ever science fiction hero, absolutely.” Joss Whedon called the film “my number one” and praised its storytelling, structure and depth, concluding, “It works on whatever level you want to bring to it.” Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky commented, “I walked out of The Matrix … and I was thinking, ‘What kind of science fiction movie can people make now?’ The Wachowski Brothers basically took all the great sci-fi ideas of the 20th century and rolled them into a delicious pop culture sandwich that everyone on the planet devoured.” Director M. Night Shyamalan expressed admiration for the Wachowski Brothers, stating, “Whatever you think of The Matrix, every shot is there because of the passion they have! You can see they argued it out!”. Actor and screenwriter Simon Pegg said that The Matrix provided “the excitement and satisfaction that The Phantom Menace failed to inspire. The Matrix seemed fresh and cool and visually breathtaking; making wonderful, intelligent use of CGI to augment the on-screen action, striking a perfect balance of the real and the hyperreal. It was possibly the coolest film I had ever seen.” Director Quentin Tarantino counted The Matrix as one of his twenty favourite movies from 1992 to 2009.
Published on August 3, 2017 at 6:00 by Ellen
Categorised in: Books, films and TV
Tuin op de Hofbogen
Part of the garden on the Hofbogen at the old Station Hofplein is a wild flower and herb field, especially sown a few years ago. These flowers and herbs bloom all around the shrubs and trees planted. The thyme with its pink purple flowers, enjoyed by the bumblebees and honey bees crawling over them. The white and yellow flowers, whose names i don’t know to be honest. The teunisbloem. The poppies flowering in their short lived life in red bloom. Even the thistle looks lovely, with it purple flowers.
We cleaned up the vegetable beds and the round circles around the trees. Around half past two we had a bit of lunch. I had made a courgette gherkin and onion mayo spread and a goats cheese cottage cheese and mayo beetroot spread the day before. It was lovely.
Silent
Kiss
This morning there were several downpours. I watched the last episode of Top of the Lake season 2. Looking outside, listening to the rain a bit.
After that i sat behind my computer for a short while, making the newsletter of this week. Done! A bit of browsing, going through my facebook and twitter feed.
Thinking about kissing. That was almost intoxicating. Enchanting. Not kissing any one in particular. Simply kissing. Or more being kissed. This afternoon anyway.
Then i decided i wouldn’t go to the garden today. I wrote a message in the whatsapp group. The three main people wouldn’t be there either today. Quickly after that i got a message from Julien, asking me for my keys. Of course.
The Filosofisch Kwintet was a bit later. A ladies football game was canceled the night before and moved to this morning. So the Filosofisch Kwintet was moved to another channel and delayed in time. I watched it. It was OK. Nothing earth shattering.
This afternoon the weather got better. The sun came through. Blue sky in between the clouds.
I went to the supermarket. I needed milk. To make my oatmeal porridge with in the morning. I decided to go by the garden and treat everyone to kano’s.
I stayed much longer than i had anticipated. Did some harvesting. Showed some people around the fruit garden at Station Hofplein.
A good afternoon. When i got home i got all the bed cottons of and turned on the washing machine. Spend some time sewing back together the rip in the mattress cover, the molton.
Before zomergasten started i threw the I Ching. The first sign felt a bit general. Not too outside my current situation really. 3. Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning, with a changing 9 as the first, bottom line.
°Nine at the beginning means:
Hesitation and hindrance.
It furthers one to remain persevering.
It furthers one to appoint helpers.If a person encounters a hindrance at the beginning of an enterprise, he must not try to force advance but must pause and take thought. However, nothing should put him off his course; he must persevere and constantly keep the goal in sight. It is important to seek out the right assistants, but he can find them only if he avoids arrogance and associated with his fellows in a spirit of humility. Only then will he attract those with whose help he can combat the difficulties.
With only the bottom line changing, this sign changes in to number 8. Pi / Holding Together. The same sign i got a few weeks ago. I do like it when this happens. Makes me read the text once again.
The rest of the evening i spend watching Eberhard van der Laan, the Amsterdam mayor, in zomergasten, summer guests, a three hour television show broadcasted in August since 1988. I had some critique, but still, Janine Abbring did a good job here talking with van der Laan. There was more attention, more listening, more open feeling in this evening than the one she spend last week with Rosanne Hertzberger. It touched me, especially towards the end.
Salute!
Human Nature
Human Nature is a wonderful song and piece of music.
Earlier this week i saw a teaser for Stranger Things season 2. I enjoyed watching the first season late last year. The Michael Jackson song Thriller is used in the second half of the teaser. This triggered something in me. For the past few days i’ve been listening to this album. Dancing to it!
When this album came out, i was too much into new wave music to pay much attention to this. I do remember the clip though. The first time it was broadcasted in the Netherlands. I was babysitting two little children in my house. We were sitting on the couch, me in the middle and watching television. I knew Thriller would be on. We talked about it a bit. And watched it, the full fourteen minutes! Scary! The children closed their eyes sometimes. Me too!
When Bad came out a couple of years later, i did buy the album. I was more into mainstream music at the time. Years lter i bought Off the Wall and Thriller on CD.
I admit, i wasn’t a huge fan. But this week it did sink in more than ever. The album Thriller is absolutely wonderful. Off the Wall is great too, but i gotta say it here, Thriller is sublime. Not all the songs, no. But still. Billie Jean, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Beat It, Thriller, P.Y.T. And then of course Human Nature.
My version i do like. Still not excellent, no. But yes, i do like it. I should have practiced more i guess. I did sing it for the past few days a couple of times. But these songs i sing is not about me being perfect.
I hope you will enjoy this!
Human Nature – Michael Jackson
Looking out
Across the nighttime
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Into the nighttime
Four walls won’t hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
If they say,
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do it that way
If they say,
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I’m watching
She likes the way I stare
If they say,
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say,
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
I like livin’ this way
I like lovin’ this way
(That way) Why why
(That way) Why why
Looking out
Across the morning
Where the city’s heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I’m dreaming of the street
If they say,
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say,
Why, why, ooo tell ’em
Why, why does he do me that way
If they say why, why, cha cha cha cha cha cha
Why does he do me that way
If they say why, why, why, ooo tell ’em
Why does he do me that way
If they say why, ooo tell ’em
Why does he do me that way
If they say why, da da da da da da da da
Why does he do my that way, I like living this way
Why, oh why, why, why
Sweet
The Uninhabitable Earth
Yesterday i came across this article The Uninhabitable Earth published in New York Magazine on July 9, 2017. There is also an annotated version, with more background information in the sideline.
Yesterday i went through the article quickly and linked it on facebook. Today i read it more thoroughly and decided to post it for today.
The article is written by David Wallace-Wells.
The article went viral from the first day of publishing. Many other scientists and publicists expressed criticism on the extreme tone of the article. Many said many points in the article are not right. I am not informed enough to form an opinion either way.
What follows is not a series of predictions of what will happen — that will be determined in large part by the much-less-certain science of human response. Instead, it is a portrait of our best understanding of where the planet is heading absent aggressive action. It is unlikely that all of these warming scenarios will be fully realized, largely because the devastation along the way will shake our complacency. But those scenarios, and not the present climate, are the baseline. In fact, they are our schedule.
What Wallace-Wells expresses is that the article is not a prediction. The Uninhabitable Earth talks about what will happen if we do nothing, continue on our current action and let it all happen. A worst case scenario.
We do not know if we will act like this.
The article discusses several topics.
- ‘Doomsday’
Peering beyond scientific reticence. - Heat Death
The bahraining of New York. - The End of Food
Praying for cornfields in the tundra. - Climate Plagues
What happens when the bubonic ice melts? - Unbreathable Air
A rolling death smog that suffocates millions. - Perpetual War
The violence baked into heat. - Permanent Economic Collapse
Dismal capitalism in a half-poorer world. - Poisoned Oceans
Sulfide burps off the skeleton coast. - The Great Filter
Our present eeriness cannot last.
The end of the article is, contrary to expectations, not entirely negative.
But when we do truly see the world we’ve made, they say, we will also find a way to make it livable. For them, the alternative is simply unimaginable.
I do hope you have already read this article or will read it soon.
As for me, i am intrigued. I do need to read it again carefully. I also want to do a deeper search for other articles about this one, expressing concerns about possible outcomes expressed. I will not take this article as a given fact, but as Wallace-Wells said himself, as a possible scenario.
It’s one of the world’s best-kept secrets that scientists either low-ball their research or risk job/grant loss! That lamentable fact has been publicly admitted by some of the world’s top climate scientists […]. It is a scandalous disservice to the public, to life, to the ecosystem.
Source: Uninhabitable Earth?
The above quote does trouble me. Scientists who lose their job because they speak openly about things they have found? Low-balling their research? I have never worked in science research myself, so i have no experience with this. I can only take this on and look for other people writing about this.
For more reading, there is also The 10-Book ‘Uninhabitable Earth’ Reading List.
A day for myself
Today i worked on getting my newsletter back on track. I stopped sending them a few weeks ago. Thinking about whether i would continue with them. I have one subscriber. But yes, i will continue with it. I still like it. Even though i was not sending it for longer than i thought. Four weeks at least.
So that is done.
Listening to Michael Jackson a lot today. Singing along with some songs. Dancing too! Is good! Listened to Thriller and Off the Wall. I have Off the Wall on cd. Not sure i have Thriller. Hmm. I did buy Bad when it came out in 1988.
I also watched the second episode of Game of Thrones this morning. Right after i got out of bed. It feels different watching the show these days. Still enjoy it. 🙂
And this evening i watched Notting Hill on television. Love it. Seen it a dozen times i’m sure.
Ooh and i also made a homemade mayonnaise salad with courgette and onion and avocado and gherkin. A huge pot. Lovely to eat on a sandwich.
Well, that is it for this post. Did a lot today. Thought a lot too.
Salute!