矛⋅盾

imo that kind of ‘analysis’ is frankly very steeped in neoliberalism-derivative defeatism and doomerism (‘end of history’ and other such trite epistemology): unable to imagine any exits or alterations from The One Inevitability of Capitalism. I’m not familiar with that subreddit but “singularity” does sound like how followers of that camp (and adjacent antiwork types) treat capitalism, like it’s a black hole, an all-powerful force of nature (not dissimilar to how bourgeois society talks about ‘hand of the market’), instead of a system that is built and maintained by humans. A million other things can and probably will become more important factors to the status of humankind before any of that technofuturist (doesnt matter if its ‘good’ or ‘evil’) “prophet”-eering would come to pass.

Past revolutionaries have succeeded in the face of seemingly impossible odds; current present-day people oppressed by US imperialism have resisted with greater obstacles. Guerillas made sure that even if their enemies render the land toxic, filled with mines, or otherwise impossible to live in, invaders can’t take and hold onto their land, and because supplies aren’t free nor infinite, eventually constant (over)commitment forces them to withdraw. The United States might crow about its military (and clearly its got a track record in special ops in raping, looting, couping, blowing up pipelines etc*) but it has not definitively won a single “war” it involved itself in since WWII. Gaza was the most policed/surveilled place on earth! yet Israel, who markets itself as being cutting edge in the field of surveillance to export its tech to other countries, can’t figure out where al Qassam are based (and supplied), always claiming the next school or hospital is really where their enemies are hiding. On what basis do these techbro&derivative types have to say that ALL subjugated people are doomed? Just because in their immediate surroundings, where the concentrated brunt of oppression is NOT happening, people aren’t resisting much?

Think of it another way, if capitalist billionaires can get their hands on robot armies, what’s stopping their enemies from doing the same? Why, other than simply monopoly concerns, is the west so freaked out about China’s (or DPRK or Iran or Russia etc etc) technological development, including chips manufacturing and AI?

*I’m rambling long enough but there’s some argument to be made that coups and related interventionism is more cost effective for empire than direct war.

I actually had a double-take - open source. OPEN SOURCE! I mean, yeah, it’ll still have to be down to whoever has production capabilities, but it’s still exciting.

I just finished my first (and likely only) playthrough of Horizon Forbidden West+DLC Burning Shores (I loved the previous game Horizon Zero Dawn).

I wasn’t prepared to get slapped in the face with sinophobia (the writing re: the Quen) but yeah it really soured my experience. I know it’s not like super overt but I understood the angle where it was coming from and what the writing was trying to communicate to its audience. Maybe I’ll find it funny in a few weeks (as many sinophobic tropes/accusations are more reflective of the west than they are of china;; “moral lessons” about finding the truth for yourself is much more applicable to westerners “forced” to reiterate antichina-isms than it is applicable to whatever the average westerner thinks about censorship and free speech in china) but right now I’m just unhappy.

At least I didn’t spend money on it this time around🏴‍☠️