The System of Economic Contradictions – Chapter V: Competition (Ben Burges’ Proudhon vs Marx Class)

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/pierre-joseph-proudhon-system-of-economical-contradictions-or-the-philosophy-of-poverty#toc16

First of all, I couldn’t get through all of this. I made it about half-way through part II and was exhausted. I only set aside about an hour before bed to get through it and I am well aware how soporific Proudhon’s work is for me. Beyond that, the debate over competition that Proudhon describes feels pretty contemporary. Part I provides the for competition arguments, which could have been given by any anarcho-capitalist or Libertarian Party zealot today. In part II, he provides the against competition arguments. Without having finished the chapter myself, Ben’s class discussion informed me that again, Proudhon finishes the chapter without resolving the contradiction or antinomy that he has described. In what seems to be a pattern throughout the book, he is content to demonstrate how the antinomy he had just described can only be resolved by another antinomy that he has yet to describe.

Admin of an anarchist Mastodon server raided by FBI, insecure user data gets seized

https://www.neowin.net/news/admin-of-an-anarchist-mastodon-server-raided-by-fbi-insecure-user-data-gets-seized/

This fucking sucks.

I think that Mastodon is a step in a good direction, away from centralized social media platforms ran for-profit. However, it is this kind of situation that reminds me of my actual ideal: hyper-local ISPs that not only offer internet connectivity, but also social media accounts and platforms similar to Mastodon but maintained at the ISP. In general, my ideal information technology setup would be something like this:

1. Each home would have its own high-capacity computer and internet uplink and it would be thought about the same way that other large household appliances are thought about: water heaters, air conditioning, waste management systems, etc. Most computation would take place on these devices. Personal devices would be much lower capacity and much less expensive. Content would primarily be streamed to them. This would mean that despite the screen size of the device one is using (theater screen, monitor, laptop, tablet, smart phone, etc.), the computational capacity would be roughly the same. It would also mean that people would only have one device to worry about hardware capacity. This is actually how people use computational capacity anyway and it is why cloud-based services are so popular to begin with. Now that game streaming has become viable, this model is ready to be implemented.
2. Internet service would be provided by local co-ops. These co-ops would not only provide internet uplink, but would also offer accounts for email, video streaming, data storage, profile-based websites, messaging, etc. This would save people the trouble of personally managing the configuration of these services and create accountable hubs that could offer the same standards of quality and privacy to all users. Like other federated models, each co-op would delegate representation to regional boards to coordinate with one another.

[Video] Aikido Guy Steps Into the Cage…

I regularly watch this guy’s stuff. I have been a sucker for Japanese “soft arts” that do not pressure test their techniques and leave a lot of uncertainty as to the effectiveness of those techniques or how they could be used in a spontaneous confrontation. This is even more of a problem at the level of the individual practitioner, who may very well demonstrate a formal understanding of a technique but can not successfully apply the technique under pressure. Beyond that, this guy’s story is impressive overall and it motivates me to always try harder.

[Video] The Unity of Means and Ends | Anarchism 101

Definitely 101 material.

I think this is an area of anarchist theory where Sartre’s Critique of Dialectical Reason can contribute, especially his notion of counter-finality. While means and ends are connected in the manner described in this video, means also result in ends that are counter to their intended results. Even if the means are egalitarian, their impact in the unfolding structure of society can be unpredictable. For instance, reactionary forces could double-down on their authoritarianism and become more oppressive than they otherwise would have been. This is the old cliché about failed revolutions leading to more severe forms of oppression. That is just one example of a counter-finality.

Men hunt and women gather? Large analysis says the long-held idea is flat-out wrong

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/men-hunt-and-women-gather-large-analysis-says-the-long-held-idea-is-flat-out-wrong

Yeah.

Eco-Fascism, “Overpopulation,” And Total Transformation

https://itsgoingdown.org/ecofascism-overpopulation-and-total-transformation/

Fair enough.