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Benjamin Chao's avatar

Hi Brink, I've recently come across and highly appreciate your writings and find then really resonate with me in a way that no single source of insight on the problems in American society has provided before. I hope to be able to contribute solutions towards exactly the lack of flourishing that's growing evermore prevalent.

When you refer to "subcultures of independent production" is this merely the alternative methods of production of goods and services? Such an example would be baugruppen housing with community gardening for food production? Or are you referring to the production of other intangible goods of self actualization, community, and soul building experiences that are not mediated through capitalistic market dynamics?

I really appreciate having discovered your writings and hope to conceptualize then actualize solutions to help Sisyphus find his happiness.

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David Boghossian's avatar

Thanks, once again, Brink, for these. I especially enjoyed the review of your journey from Ayn Rand to pluralism in your last post. And this post is a worthy successor. I have two observations about monoculture and pluralism: First, monocultures are weak because they are subject to viral diseases that rage through their unprotected genotype. I would suggest that our social monoculture is weak in the same way. And the virus that seems to be sweeping through our social "memotype" is authoritarianism. We seem to be losing the ability to think for ourselves, perhaps because it is so easy and convenient to adopt the prevailing monoculture. This seems top leave us susceptible to conspiracy theories and power-hungry leaders. Just add it to the list of reasons in support of pluralism.

Second, pluralism is hard because opting out of the prevailing system involves significant risk, both as an individual and as a community. And as we know, fear of downside risk often overwhelms upside potential because we can go down to zero, which is very painful, while upside benefits are unknown and uncertain.

To me, this argues for a form of "social insurance" on the downside that empowers experimentation and risk and enables the benefits of pluralism. This might be some form of universal income or even a literal insurance program for communities or individuals interested in trying alternative forms of social organization. Just a suggestion....

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