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2 posts found
Apr 22, 2014
ssc
34 min 4,759 words 475 comments
Scott Alexander examines his sudden shift towards conservatism, proposing it may be part of a broader trend of intellectuals differentiating themselves from mainstream leftism. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of fashion and political beliefs using a cellular automaton model, then reflects on his sudden shift towards conservatism. He proposes that this shift might be due to a counter-signaling hierarchy, where intellectuals differentiate themselves from mainstream leftism by adopting more conservative or libertarian views. The post discusses various potential explanations for this shift, including stress, exposure to neoreactionary ideas, and a desire to avoid being associated with certain leftist positions. Scott concludes by hoping that this pendulum-like movement between political positions might lead to gradual learning and improvement over time. Shorter summary
Feb 11, 2014
ssc
23 min 3,172 words 158 comments
Scott Alexander reviews and critiques a polite but underwhelming video debate between Noah Smith and Michael Anissimov on neoreactionary ideas. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews a video debate between Noah Smith, an economics professor, and Michael Anissimov, a spokesperson for neoreaction. The debate covered topics such as social isolation, happiness trends, equality, capitalism, democracy, monarchy, organic state theory, aristocracy, and gender roles. Scott found the debate polite but somewhat underwhelming, with both participants making more moderate claims than expected. He provides his own analysis and critiques of the arguments presented, noting areas where he felt important points were missed or inadequately addressed. Shorter summary