Crypto-bros

A libertarian futurologist prognosticating wildly

There are various philosophies promoted by prominent members of the technological elite that serve as dangerous distractions from the path towards a society that works towards the happiness of all its people.

Techno-Optimism

In the early days of the Internet, there was so much optimism and idealism about what distributed networks could do.

Unfortunately, for many of them these ideals devolved into digital pyramid schemes that confuse arbitrarily inflated asset values with intellect, enabling propaganda with building community, and enabling criminality with expanding freedom.

Techno-Optimism that once sought to solve the modern problems of humanity has turned into an objectivist, futurist fever-dream, using effective altruism to justify enriching themselves, and being more concerned about the happiness and well-being of future humans than those suffering in the here-and-now reality that their technologies are shaping.

The basic premise of techno-optimism, that human ingenuity will be able to provide solutions to problems like overpopulation and peak oil with GMOs and electric cars is true in many cases. The problem is that we can't see the future and we don't know which problems will actually get solved before things get really bad. Climate change is the primary example.

Techno-optimism breeds complacency and subverts collective action by placating people with promises of magical sci-fi solutions to problems that still need to be solved. We should do our best to find these solutions, but providing funding and changing incentive structures still requires collective action.

This is similar to the saying "God helps those who help themselves". Technology will help us, but only if we do the work to raise awareness of issues, fund the basic research, and engineer the solution even if it cannot be sold profitably.

What is Techno-Optimism?

TESCREAL

Crypto-bros promote a Mirror World version of metaculture based on TESCREAL -- Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism. While both systems of thought purport to be concerned about the future of humanity, metaculture focuses on what should be done in the here-and-now to help the living, while TESCREAL is focused on the sci-fi future when we have cyborg implants and colonize the stars. Such things are fun to contemplate, but it is incredibly sad and frustrating that so many of our smartest and most powerful minds dedicate their energy to helping theoretical future humans instead of living people on whom their money and talent could have a huge and immediate impact.

TESCREAL is considered the religion of the technological elite. But it is hardly a complete philosophy, having no theology or ethical system beyond letting selfishness and capitalism somehow work things out for everyone.

See the future if you really want to talk Transhumanism.

The TESCREAL Threat

The Right Wing Manosphere

The Right Wing Manosphere is a network of websites, podcasts, and social media accounts that promote a hierarchical, anti-feminist, anti-liberal viewpoint targeted towards young and impressionable teenage men. Some are ideologues, some are canceled minor celebrities that have been scorned by the mainstream media, some are social media celebrities that have discovered the rich monetization opportunities of bootlicking. They are collectively one of the most corrosive influences on the politics and morality of the next generation.

They start with good advice like "clean up your room and get in shape" before leading viewers into a right-wing rabbit hole of conspiracy, misogyny, authoritarianism, and grift.

When researching the videos that are linked to this wiki, certain topics would be almost exclusively populated by manosphere-related videos when you search for them, or a mix of Jordan Peterson and Evangelicals. This was especially the case with subjects like belief systems, the search for meaning, life choices, sex, and a lot of things that impressionable young men seeking an online mentor might search for. Disheartening, to say the least.

The issue is that most secular and progressive people are inherently resistant to any established belief system due to the fact that once you establish one it becomes dogma. And once you have dogma you have hierarchy, resistance to change, and the truth leaves you behind. This is understandable, but it puts them at quite a disadvantage when it comes to appealing to those who are seeking out a belief system and don't really want to have to figure everything out for themselves.

metaculture avoids this issue by putting science and the scientific method at the core of that dogma.

Only when you have a coherent belief system that you can put forth as an alternative to the one being advocated by the manosphere will their influence in modern culture start to wane.

Are Men Okay?

The Crisis of Men: Modern Masculinity and The Manosphere

A Brief Look at Jordan Peterson - Some More News

Ministry - B.D.E.

The Narcissist Economy

Idealistic and intelligent technophiles are easily led astray once the money train rolls in. Regardless of whether the money comes from crypto, a successful IPO, or even just a high-paying tech job, the lure of self-justification through libertarianism has a very strong pull. Those who have failed to resist its siren song are herein referred to as Crypto-Bros.

Garfunkel and Oates - This Party Just Took a Turn for the Douche