On Accelerationism
While casually reading Reddit, I came across the philosophical thinking (but grounded in very real concepts) called “Dark Enlightenment,” neoreactionism, or accelerationism that technocrats like Thiel, Musk, and other Silicon Valley boys allegedly prescribe in. Though the field is complex, basically, it boils down to hastening (or, you know, accelerating) capitalism’s growth, in turn increasing social inequality, punishing the poor and the weak, and creating a new social order.
It sounds interesting because, at first glance, it does not seem to be a far-right idea but a practical Marxist strategy. By hastening the evil of capitalism, it will reveal its foundational errors, increasing contradictions and failures in its system. The masses, exploited by the same system, will lose their collective cool, rise, and take over the running of the nation.
Upon more research, however, it does make me realize that social crises – like said internal contradictions in capitalism – only make the rich richer, the poor poorer. Capitalism is self-regulating at this point, and any systemic error in its design will only inevitably serve the interests of its master, who had the means to first shy away from its effects and the cunning power to regulate against it. Between the choice of good and evil, individuals would always choose the good, but ironically, society would veer toward the evil.
The answer, perhaps, is sudden chaos and hope that the good ones build a stronger and more just citadel next time or the harder way of building up educational infrastructure and social nets. Unfortunately, the latter choice would have to be made under the watchful eyes of the capitalist lords (who carry politicians in their pockets, as The Turk said, like so many nickels and dimes). How will they react, knowing that an educated class is nigh? Will it spell their doom, or will this new breed of Filipinos join their ranks?
Or is the answer possibly a traitor to the capitalist lords, someone who knows that they are doing what is good for the country but bad for their hold to power? Or am I just a pessimist, thinking too narrowly that the success of the nation is also the failure of the rich kids in the block? Is that possible that their interests align with our interests? History and the very purpose of capitalism would say otherwise, but maybe I am just a fool.