Unqualified Reservations

Reactionary Enlightenment

Maxwell's equations of software

by Mencius Moldbug, 2010-01-09 12:35

I haz dem:

1 Context

This spec defines one function, Nock.

2 Structures

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The Dire Problem and the Virtual Option

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-11-15 16:52

To think about government in the democratic tense is to think (and talk - and write) in terms of policies. Most people do not know any other way. The democratic thinker, prudent or foolish, cretin or physicist, thinks: if I were king, what would I do about X or Y or Z? Health care or Afghanistan or banking? The precondition is always omitted, and always implied.

Since not only is the thinker not king, not only are there are no more kings in the world, but the thinker believes there never will and never should be any, any such thought is so impotent as to insult sobriety. One might as well ask: if I were God, what would I do about mosquitoes?

South Africa: the solution

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-10-22 22:23

I shouldn't ask a question as inflammatory as that last post, without giving my own answer.

The answer is that what South Africa needs is not white government, black government, English government, Dutch government, or even Jewish government. (Although I'm sure it would do quite nicely under Moshe Feiglin.) What South Africa needs is responsible government - regardless of the race, color or creed of whoever is calling the shots.

A gentle introduction to Unqualified Reservations (part 9b)

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-10-15 21:22

Passivism follows directly from the reactionary revocation of the Lockean right of rebellion. The passivist replaces Locke's chestnut with an older, true formula: might makes right. USG has the might, so it has the right. The passivist does not rebel against USG, because he has not the right to do so; he has not the right to do so, because he has not the power to do so.

Ends and odds

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-10-02 04:38

Having passed the meaningless milestone of "code complete" on my unsupervised thesis (I hope no one was under the impression that UR is my only plot to capture the world - ha! In fact, there is a completely separate technical track), and having discovered that the Sibyl can indeed read (at least, she can read the word "schoolhouse"), I feel entitled to take this Thursday off.

Seasteading, without that warm glow

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-09-29 01:44

Having now been definitively disinvited from the Seasteading Conference, I now feel I would be extremely remiss if I did not post my complete thoughts on the matter. I promise that this will be the last discussion of seasteading at UR for quite some time.

Young America

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-09-17 20:39

If America had died young,
Like Alexander! Granted, young
Alex, in drunken rage, ran
His cousin through with a spear.
But a good spear: stout and sharp,
Fresh from spearmaker's shop.
His eye was clear, his belly flat,
He ruled what he overran:
Men spoke Greek ten centuries
In the Hindu Kush. Dead
At twenty-seven of a fever -
Malady unknown to nations.
His will: to kratisto! Time
Herself obeyed; time brought
Her palm to young America.
Here was Alexander god
In life; permanent Alexander;
Marble in Maryland swamp.
To those who remember her!
They dodder in their homes,
They corrode in the mud. Tibet
Is better known. Our Alex,
Two hundred five and going
Quite strong, impounds
Throne under glacier of fat,
Yellow and bone-stiff.
His heart is a basketball,
Delicate as a sparrow, old
As a turtle, scarred as a whale.
His claret comes in carboys.
His smell is extraordinary.
The world fears him; his
Eunuchs deceive him; his
Wife screams at him. Him
Fools adore; cynics loathe;
Ordinary men assume.
The wise avert their eyes,
Consider his stout youth.

The Honduran rebellion - or, State's invisible world displayed

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-09-12 13:31

In case you hadn't noticed, Honduras - tiny Honduras! - is currently in a state of full diplomatic rebellion against USG. And the latter, predictably, is not pleased:

A gentle introduction to Unqualified Reservations (part 9a)

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-09-04 18:11

Today you begin your irreversible descent into black, unthinkable madness.

In retrospect, of course, the process will appear as it is - an ultimate ascent. Out of the Computer's infinite fluorescent maze. Into the glorious air of pure, unfiltered reason. The last hatch is unlocked above your head. The ladder is at your feet. Warm sunlight, green grass, and real reality - this alone is UR's program. Dare you continue? It is not too late to turn back.

A rare public appearance

by Mencius Moldbug, 2009-08-29 13:21

I'll be making a short presentation at Patri Friedman's seasteading conference, September 28-30 in San Francisco. Slides and video will be posted.

UR readers will learn little new from my talk, "Reactionary Imperialism for the 21st Century." But there are many other interesting speakers on the agenda - take a look. Plus, you get to see me work out my rabble-rousing beerhall style, in a Subcommander Marcos mask.