Tag: Tech
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Democrats and Tech
In the grand theater of American politics, the Democrats are finding themselves abandoned by their once loyal tech-supporting audience. Picture this: the shimmering beaches of Venice, California, where the promise of a crypto revolution was supposed to bring prosperity. Instead, it’s a ghost town of missed opportunities and empty storefronts. Abbot Kinney, that iconic stretch…
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Thinking About Rome
In the flickering neon of late capitalism, we glimpse the mirrored chrome of a fallen giant. The Roman Republic, that sprawling, data-driven empire, its coliseum servers humming with gladiatorial content, serves as a stark historical prompt. Remember the burn Notice, the flickering scroll that announced the Empire’s terminal error? It wasn’t a barbarian horde at the gates, chums, it was a system crash. Reliance on a…
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The Box
The box. A cardboard monolith promising connection, a portal to the buzzing electronic superorganism. You tear through it, a ritual sacrifice to the gods of planned obsolescence. You rip it open, a flurry of plastic and wires. The device itself, sleek, seductive, a chrome phallus whispering of power and control. But inside, a hollowness. No…
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Democratizing Technology: Batteries not included, user manual sold separately
1. The Gaze of the Other: First, identify the technology that functions as the object of desire, the phallus, for a certain elite. This elite, the Symbolic Order, holds the gaze that defines “real” power. The resentment of the excluded masses, the Imaginary, fuels the fantasy of possessing this phallus. 2. The Gift (That Keeps on…
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Paradox of (digital) Literacy
The human story is riddled with irony, and the rise of technology presents a particularly potent example. We celebrate progress, touting innovation and advancement as hallmarks of a superior society. Yet, upon closer examination, this narrative unravels, revealing a darker undercurrent: a pattern of exploiting periods of upheaval to consolidate power and rig the system…
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The Rate of Pasts Abandoned
The so-called “distributed futures” of Web3 are, at first glance, a messianic promise of decentralization, an illusory liberation from the bureaucratic chains of Web2. Yet, when observed closely, this very promise betrays itself as a fetishized spectacle of freedom—what Zizek might call a “decaffeinated future,” one where the appearance of innovation is stripped of its…
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ZIRP Personality
What If Your Whole Personality Depended on Low Interest Rates? Worse—what if your entire social circle, your ideological shtick, your sense of meaning, was just a byproduct of a SoftBank write-down? That’s the uncomfortable reality a lot of people are facing right now. We’ve spent the last decade living inside a simulation powered by cheap…
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Tech Ouroboros
Step 1: “We’re Revolutionizing the World” A startup manifesto scribbled in the blood of corporate messiahs. Disrupt! Innovate! The pitch deck glows with the radioactive sheen of venture capital seraphim. The vision? A frictionless utopia, baby—or at least a tax haven. The founders wear black turtlenecks like armor. They haven’t slept since Web 1.0.…
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Clubhouse: Cocaine for Lunch – Navigating the Anxious Act 2s of Social Media
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media platforms, Clubhouse emerges as a unique entity, offering users a novel experience of audio-based interaction. However, akin to the rush of a cocaine high, Clubhouse also presents a cocktail of excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty, reminiscent of navigating through Act 2s in a game of musical chairs. This essay…
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Tech-Economics-Values
Rethinking the Relationship Between Technology, Economics, and Values Introduction: In today’s fast-paced world, the interplay between technology, economics, and societal values shapes the trajectory of our global landscape. However, an examination of this relationship reveals a complex web of influences. This essay delves into the intricate connections between technology, economics, and values, challenging conventional wisdom…