That seemed to end abruptly. Maybe that is just my sense of it, but I wanted to hear much more about this high scene that Granza will be opening, and how it will be "conservative". I understand the need and desire to build something in the real world versus the on-line world that is counter to the current culture, the why is is obvious. The "what" and the "how" are not obvious. "What" is this place to be? A bar, a salon, a club, a restaurant, all three, or something else? How will it be different from others? How will it be sustained? And cetera...Maybe there is more to come?
Yes, it did end abruptly. Not much real analysis -- mostly surface comments based on "observations". Also, the following two sentences are odd, especially the second: "Computational technology was born as a tool of warfare. Social media reflects that." The first is to some extent correct, but too broad to constitute analysis -- especially when you suddenly marry media to warfare, both of which are more complex than your piece recognizes.
I believe that there is something deeper concerning your subject (which is missing) and your analysis: It lacks a sense of Culture (capital C) because education for decades has essentially ignored classical philosophy and history. "Nothing to learn there."
I read that sentence in puzzlement as well. If I accept the antecedent, and that is a stretch, (Newton was thinking of planetary motion not cannon ball trajectories, when he created mechanics and the Calculus), the consequent ("Social media reflects that.") is at best unsupported and at worst non sequitur. So, why undermine yourself that way - especially if you are seeking to move conservatives?
Maybe we need a real-life matchmaking culture that pairs the energy folks with the prestige folks. You can be talented but inconsequential if you have one without the other. Also: Orthodoxy and Trad Catholicism seem like potentially at least rivals of late night vibes in Barcelona and NYC when it comes to antiliberal institutions and communities. We need to fight for the soul of man AND perhaps for his right to party. But in what order?
Clubs. This all I could think of as I read this. Carlsbad Republican Women Federated. Meet once a month. Join a committee and interact closely with others to visit Street Fairs, Knocking on doors, phone banks, evening meetings...travel to San Diego and hear speakers like Gov Ricketts. Joni Ernst, Ron DeSantis. Discuss important topics and make friends.
Some astute observations in this interview on the social atomisation that the internet has brought in its wake however noisily 'communal' its social 'interactions' may appear to be. Not so sure I see any realistic correctives other than let's see where it all takes itself. I wrote recently on another aspect of this.....the delusion of imagining that people in general have facility in grasping political abstractions whereas the reality is that most people can't (or don't want to). They get their sense of reality more from narratives....from stories: The right in other words needs to learn how to tell better stories......
"In our sepia-tinged picture of life before the dawn of mass-media, people used to gather round the proverbial fireside and tell each other stories. These were generally stories of a collective past...real or imagined. Folk tales, salutary tales and nursery rhymes with implicit guidance on how to be and how not to be. A story book of mythic heroic or dastardly deeds ranging across time and from the local to the cosmic. Even if this is a romanticised picture of a by-the-fireside past, it is a warming picture. Fast forward to our civilisation’s 21st c. and we seem increasingly to live a Twittified, Instagramed, TikToked, MSMed (and Substacked) PERMANENT NOW. Leaving less and less head-space for quiet reflection." https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/p/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west
Your guest will be opening his own speakeasy in NY and, meanwhile, Brownstone has been expanding its supper clubs, which appeal to a different demographic but are aligned politically. All good.
Just my observation here. When I’m out at a hobby venue which is utterly not political, there is plenty of social interaction. It’s pleasant, it’s engaging, and the modest friendships persist over time. I have friends that I met in a state I don’t live in that I see only once or twice a year. But we really are friends. We need more of that. We need, simply as humans, to return to civil, friendly engagement. I haven’t a clue as to how to make that happen.
One small thing I do see working is church based. It’s a program for children called “Godly Play”. It’s very low key, and very engaging. And I see that the kids at our church appear to be less focused on social media. At our post-service socializing, they are playing or talking, not using electronics.
And what's with this obsession with descriptors like "the left" and "the right"? What's wanted is something that occupies the middle ground, that can draw on the best elements on both sides, moderate liberals as well as conservatives.
But most of all, what is wanted is a concrete PROGRAM, one that appeals to the needs of the American people today in ways never thought about before, both in the immediacy of now and in the possibilities of a future.
Rufo needs to turn a page, stop winning what are by now easy victories in the culture wars, and set about the task of building a movement. He's got the talent. Needs to refocus.
I don’t see a lot of middle ground left in the public space anymore, that would be a great thing if one were to take root and flourish.
Part of the reason it hasn’t, I think, is that often in spaces that are not political, it seems so many drag political talking points and arguments into said space. This instantly changes the focus of everybody getting along and having helpful/friendly conversations to instant tribal clashes.
Agree wholeheartedly that community is best fostered offline in real life.
It is hard at the moment, I agree. However, the new lifestyle I'm promoting appeals widely regardless of political orientation. It is something that can really bring people together. I feel sure about that.
I’ve not heard of IM1776 but I respect the that he has your attention, Mr Rufo. He may have some points. But trying to build a physical community in NYC for anything other than outright communism might have us speaking about him in the past tense. Just ask Andy Gno. I’m worried.
Yet Graham Cunningham, ... slouching toward Bethlehem, the falcon no longer hears the falconer and (certainly) ... the centre cannot hold. I think its poetry we need (in whatever form but with narrative enough ) Not 'Poetry' - but performed and read as did the beats - deep song political and divine performed and lusted after for audience present and informed. Art is the way back to the holding centre - painting, poems, poetry, sculpture, film and plays - and most definitely very Post Po Mo. Derrida and Foucault must be outed as the pederasts they were, and the deterus they left behind must be firebombed, narrative and story returned and reimagined.
Kind of a truncated interview, but I like what I heard.. so many great, young thinkers and activists from the right side of the spectrum, esp young men. How did you all become so confident and strong, given the male-bashing, get to the back of the culture upbringings you all had growing up?
Excellent analysis, but I think what's happening on the Right is part of a broader social trend in American (and probably Western) society: the movement from face-to-face engagement to electronic and virtual communication. One factor that may be peculiar to the Right is the huge emphasis on individualism and free markets--that "things will take care of themselves" and that sociological and cultural phenomena are not important. There is an emphasis on economics; none on sociology. I also suspect that men dominate the Right and that men tend to be "lone wolves" much more than women--who dominate the Left.
Yeah this something that is extensively discussed within Dr. Karlyn Borysenko’s community. The Right can only shit post and meme the left, while the left takes direct action against the Right in physical spaces. Particularly the far left. The far right comes out for Rumble time, knuckle cracking good fun, but then the Feds crack down on the Far Right, leaving the Far Left unmolested. They did the same with the Weathermen and the Weather Underground. They allowed them to disappear and go “Underground.” We know they went into politics and the Colleges and schools afterwards. It’s like the powers that be want Communism.
That was the case, especially under Biden, but Trump is now going after the far left: defunding them, calling them out, trolling them into “direct action” the feds can crack down on.
I’m guilty of being sucked into the addiction to my phone, so I’d be a hypocrite to bash that aspect. But I understand, know and subconsciously try to avoid this addiction. But the way the news cycle has been since the pandemic I have been seduced by the demon for political content and the news cycle.
I almost get the sensation of a “high” with some of the breaking news on X, or podcasts. I live in a rural fly over state and am a local truck driver. So my only interactions are with convenience stores and grocery stores.
AI camera technology has been an interesting development that is like a boss watching me every minute in a cubicle, which seems very Orwellian and a total invasion. I can’t even look away for more than 3 seconds and the camera says “distracted driving or phone detected”. So anyone driving a car break checking a semi, be forewarned, smile your on many cameras while driving!
I miss the simple old days, when strangers would talk and interact with others. Maybe it the political differences that prevent casual conversation, but it has definitely deterred me from being as social along with the insanity of the democrats agenda pushing me away from even thinking of wanting to think about small talk or starting a conversation with strangers like I would pre-2008.
For me, one of my rewarding cultural “physical” spaces which gives me a sense of community is my morning Bible study group(s). There is dialogue, fellowship, relationship building, purposefulness, and understanding, all centered on God’s Word.
That seemed to end abruptly. Maybe that is just my sense of it, but I wanted to hear much more about this high scene that Granza will be opening, and how it will be "conservative". I understand the need and desire to build something in the real world versus the on-line world that is counter to the current culture, the why is is obvious. The "what" and the "how" are not obvious. "What" is this place to be? A bar, a salon, a club, a restaurant, all three, or something else? How will it be different from others? How will it be sustained? And cetera...Maybe there is more to come?
Yes, it did end abruptly. Not much real analysis -- mostly surface comments based on "observations". Also, the following two sentences are odd, especially the second: "Computational technology was born as a tool of warfare. Social media reflects that." The first is to some extent correct, but too broad to constitute analysis -- especially when you suddenly marry media to warfare, both of which are more complex than your piece recognizes.
I believe that there is something deeper concerning your subject (which is missing) and your analysis: It lacks a sense of Culture (capital C) because education for decades has essentially ignored classical philosophy and history. "Nothing to learn there."
I read that sentence in puzzlement as well. If I accept the antecedent, and that is a stretch, (Newton was thinking of planetary motion not cannon ball trajectories, when he created mechanics and the Calculus), the consequent ("Social media reflects that.") is at best unsupported and at worst non sequitur. So, why undermine yourself that way - especially if you are seeking to move conservatives?
Maybe we need a real-life matchmaking culture that pairs the energy folks with the prestige folks. You can be talented but inconsequential if you have one without the other. Also: Orthodoxy and Trad Catholicism seem like potentially at least rivals of late night vibes in Barcelona and NYC when it comes to antiliberal institutions and communities. We need to fight for the soul of man AND perhaps for his right to party. But in what order?
Clubs. This all I could think of as I read this. Carlsbad Republican Women Federated. Meet once a month. Join a committee and interact closely with others to visit Street Fairs, Knocking on doors, phone banks, evening meetings...travel to San Diego and hear speakers like Gov Ricketts. Joni Ernst, Ron DeSantis. Discuss important topics and make friends.
Some astute observations in this interview on the social atomisation that the internet has brought in its wake however noisily 'communal' its social 'interactions' may appear to be. Not so sure I see any realistic correctives other than let's see where it all takes itself. I wrote recently on another aspect of this.....the delusion of imagining that people in general have facility in grasping political abstractions whereas the reality is that most people can't (or don't want to). They get their sense of reality more from narratives....from stories: The right in other words needs to learn how to tell better stories......
"In our sepia-tinged picture of life before the dawn of mass-media, people used to gather round the proverbial fireside and tell each other stories. These were generally stories of a collective past...real or imagined. Folk tales, salutary tales and nursery rhymes with implicit guidance on how to be and how not to be. A story book of mythic heroic or dastardly deeds ranging across time and from the local to the cosmic. Even if this is a romanticised picture of a by-the-fireside past, it is a warming picture. Fast forward to our civilisation’s 21st c. and we seem increasingly to live a Twittified, Instagramed, TikToked, MSMed (and Substacked) PERMANENT NOW. Leaving less and less head-space for quiet reflection." https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/p/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west
Thank you! Following.
Your guest will be opening his own speakeasy in NY and, meanwhile, Brownstone has been expanding its supper clubs, which appeal to a different demographic but are aligned politically. All good.
And VDARE had a nice group that met regularly at the Berkeley Spring Castle in WV. Hopefully we can return to it when the lawfare is over.
Charlie Kirk created an organic venue that grew and prospered until a disciple of a twisted online community ended his life.
Just my observation here. When I’m out at a hobby venue which is utterly not political, there is plenty of social interaction. It’s pleasant, it’s engaging, and the modest friendships persist over time. I have friends that I met in a state I don’t live in that I see only once or twice a year. But we really are friends. We need more of that. We need, simply as humans, to return to civil, friendly engagement. I haven’t a clue as to how to make that happen.
One small thing I do see working is church based. It’s a program for children called “Godly Play”. It’s very low key, and very engaging. And I see that the kids at our church appear to be less focused on social media. At our post-service socializing, they are playing or talking, not using electronics.
"Culture must return to physical space. This is the next step. "
That's true, but on a much larger scale than in a New York speakeasy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0C9HKW
And what's with this obsession with descriptors like "the left" and "the right"? What's wanted is something that occupies the middle ground, that can draw on the best elements on both sides, moderate liberals as well as conservatives.
But most of all, what is wanted is a concrete PROGRAM, one that appeals to the needs of the American people today in ways never thought about before, both in the immediacy of now and in the possibilities of a future.
Rufo needs to turn a page, stop winning what are by now easy victories in the culture wars, and set about the task of building a movement. He's got the talent. Needs to refocus.
I don’t see a lot of middle ground left in the public space anymore, that would be a great thing if one were to take root and flourish.
Part of the reason it hasn’t, I think, is that often in spaces that are not political, it seems so many drag political talking points and arguments into said space. This instantly changes the focus of everybody getting along and having helpful/friendly conversations to instant tribal clashes.
Agree wholeheartedly that community is best fostered offline in real life.
It is hard at the moment, I agree. However, the new lifestyle I'm promoting appeals widely regardless of political orientation. It is something that can really bring people together. I feel sure about that.
I’ve not heard of IM1776 but I respect the that he has your attention, Mr Rufo. He may have some points. But trying to build a physical community in NYC for anything other than outright communism might have us speaking about him in the past tense. Just ask Andy Gno. I’m worried.
Yet Graham Cunningham, ... slouching toward Bethlehem, the falcon no longer hears the falconer and (certainly) ... the centre cannot hold. I think its poetry we need (in whatever form but with narrative enough ) Not 'Poetry' - but performed and read as did the beats - deep song political and divine performed and lusted after for audience present and informed. Art is the way back to the holding centre - painting, poems, poetry, sculpture, film and plays - and most definitely very Post Po Mo. Derrida and Foucault must be outed as the pederasts they were, and the deterus they left behind must be firebombed, narrative and story returned and reimagined.
Kind of a truncated interview, but I like what I heard.. so many great, young thinkers and activists from the right side of the spectrum, esp young men. How did you all become so confident and strong, given the male-bashing, get to the back of the culture upbringings you all had growing up?
Excellent analysis, but I think what's happening on the Right is part of a broader social trend in American (and probably Western) society: the movement from face-to-face engagement to electronic and virtual communication. One factor that may be peculiar to the Right is the huge emphasis on individualism and free markets--that "things will take care of themselves" and that sociological and cultural phenomena are not important. There is an emphasis on economics; none on sociology. I also suspect that men dominate the Right and that men tend to be "lone wolves" much more than women--who dominate the Left.
Yeah this something that is extensively discussed within Dr. Karlyn Borysenko’s community. The Right can only shit post and meme the left, while the left takes direct action against the Right in physical spaces. Particularly the far left. The far right comes out for Rumble time, knuckle cracking good fun, but then the Feds crack down on the Far Right, leaving the Far Left unmolested. They did the same with the Weathermen and the Weather Underground. They allowed them to disappear and go “Underground.” We know they went into politics and the Colleges and schools afterwards. It’s like the powers that be want Communism.
That was the case, especially under Biden, but Trump is now going after the far left: defunding them, calling them out, trolling them into “direct action” the feds can crack down on.
I’m guilty of being sucked into the addiction to my phone, so I’d be a hypocrite to bash that aspect. But I understand, know and subconsciously try to avoid this addiction. But the way the news cycle has been since the pandemic I have been seduced by the demon for political content and the news cycle.
I almost get the sensation of a “high” with some of the breaking news on X, or podcasts. I live in a rural fly over state and am a local truck driver. So my only interactions are with convenience stores and grocery stores.
AI camera technology has been an interesting development that is like a boss watching me every minute in a cubicle, which seems very Orwellian and a total invasion. I can’t even look away for more than 3 seconds and the camera says “distracted driving or phone detected”. So anyone driving a car break checking a semi, be forewarned, smile your on many cameras while driving!
I miss the simple old days, when strangers would talk and interact with others. Maybe it the political differences that prevent casual conversation, but it has definitely deterred me from being as social along with the insanity of the democrats agenda pushing me away from even thinking of wanting to think about small talk or starting a conversation with strangers like I would pre-2008.
Bring back social dancing!
For me, one of my rewarding cultural “physical” spaces which gives me a sense of community is my morning Bible study group(s). There is dialogue, fellowship, relationship building, purposefulness, and understanding, all centered on God’s Word.