The Outpost

The Outpost is an investigative platform delving into complex global issues, including geopolitics, militarization, cultural shifts, and economic paradigms. It analyzes contemporary and historical events, technological impacts, and societal transformations, often exploring underreported aspects and offering nuanced perspectives on power dynamics, resource conflicts, and the human condition.

Geopolitics Military and Warfare Cultural and Societal Analysis Economic Paradigms and Conflicts Technological Impacts on Society Human Rights and Trafficking Historical Events and Perspectives Globalization and Its Discontents Propaganda and Media Influence

The hottest Substack posts of The Outpost

And their main takeaways

"Christianity is gay": a not-too-short note on evolutionary memetics

19 implied HN points • 24 Oct 20
  1. Christianity has faced criticism for its perceived negative impact on women and traditional masculinity.
  2. There is a memetic strain linking alt-right movements and past ideologies like Spanish Reds through evolved cultural ideas.
  3. The role of Christianity in Western civilization is deeply debated, with progressive Catholic views contrasting conservative Evangelical stances.

Memetic Crystal Ball: a peek into the future of Pablo Iglesias

19 implied HN points • 19 Oct 20
  1. Narratives in politics and stories use recognizable tropes and can determine success or failure.
  2. Building a positive narrative can lead to electoral victory, while negative narratives can lead to failure.
  3. Political figures like Pablo Iglesias can be complex, evolving characters influenced by various archetypes.

The Peloponnesian Paradigm, and why Central Asia matters

19 implied HN points • 08 Oct 20
  1. The Peloponnesian Paradigm can be applied as a theme in current geopolitics, like the Thucydides Trap describing USA-China relations.
  2. The Peloponnesian Paradigm offers memetic potential to understand modern political discourse and historical events.
  3. Geopolitical strategies can shift based on rivals' strengths; being key players in Central Asia is vital for global influence.

Ginsburg v. Goebbels and the search for New Sparta

19 implied HN points • 26 Sep 20
  1. Misogyny and political ideologies have historical ties to ancient cultures like Sparta and Athens.
  2. The Nazis were inspired by the Spartans in their political and educational paradigms.
  3. Different countries and leaders exhibit varying degrees of adherence to the Spartan ethos in their policies and demographics.

The fortress and the gyneceum

19 implied HN points • 19 Sep 20
  1. Athenian society venerated a virile warrior-maiden, while the Egyptians saw their ruling pharaohs in a different light.
  2. Despite worshipping a female goddess, Athenian society was still quite misogynistic.
  3. Different ancient societies had varying views on women, with differences in education, rights, and societal roles.
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The Female Monster and the Misogynist Revolution

19 implied HN points • 13 Sep 20
  1. During historical periods like the French Revolution, classical mythology mixed with Enlightenment ideas.
  2. Different thought leaders had contrasting views on women's roles in society, with some supporting their access to work and individual rights.
  3. Mythological Female Monsters were depicted as chaotic, violent, predatorial beings with unique, hybrid sexuality and were associated with primordial gods.

Emergence and abiogenesis: do computers dream of death?

19 implied HN points • 30 Aug 20
  1. Computers and biological nervous systems are physical processors of information, acting as control systems for larger entities.
  2. Networks, whether biological or social, have emergent properties that arise from the interactions of their components.
  3. The complexity and capabilities of living organisms, computers, and brains are defined by their emergent properties and the threshold of complexity they possess.

Bible study for NPCs: idols, ideology, and the violence within

19 implied HN points • 22 Aug 20
  1. Idols are man-made objects representing false gods, while icons are representations of something real.
  2. Ideologies can inspire idolatry and are linked to violent impulses found within individuals.
  3. Political ideologies can manipulate human tendencies to create divisions and justify violence.

Mediatic facts and controlled demolitions from across the Rubicon

19 implied HN points • 16 Aug 20
  1. Conflict often stems from real events rather than purely ideological differences.
  2. Mediatic facts can distort the truth to fit into existing narratives, reinforcing group cohesion.
  3. In the aftermath of the Beirut blast, differing mediatic facts and responses reveal complex geopolitical dynamics.

The worst thing to come out of 2020

19 implied HN points • 09 Aug 20
  1. George Friedman's book 'The Next 100 Years' predicts the American Century with US-backed Poland gaining strength.
  2. US-Poland relationship is significant, especially as Poland aligns with the US against rivals like Turkey and Russia.
  3. A delicate global balance exists in Eastern Europe, with potential tensions that could disrupt the entire global system.

The friendzoning of the West

19 implied HN points • 03 Aug 20
  1. China's economic success is attributed to the careful leadership of the Communist Party since 1949.
  2. The Chinese Civil War saw international involvement as the US and USSR tried to influence the outcome.
  3. Deng Xiaoping's pragmatic approach and Deng Xiaoping Theory played a crucial role in China's economic transformation.

Age of the Corporate Drone

19 implied HN points • 25 Jul 20
  1. Capitalism will persist and not be replaced by socialism, as accelerated by the Communist Manifesto.
  2. A managerial class controls decisions in corporate and government structures, driven by a desire to efficiently satisfy capitalist desires.
  3. Burnham believed in a capitalist-communist dialectic leading to managerialism, supported by Fukuyama's declaration of capitalism's triumph as the realization of the Marxist utopia.

Birds of prey have no friends: the first anti-Capitalist War

19 implied HN points • 18 Jul 20
  1. Hitler's anti-Capitalist ideology was rooted in experiences from the First World War.
  2. Hitler's main objective in the Second World War was to oppose International Capitalism, primarily targeting Great Britain and the United States.
  3. Hitler's German Anti-Capitalism echoed ideas of some North American capitalists, including Henry Ford, who approved of Hitler's policies.

Veblen, the leisure class, techno-conspirators and the leftovers

19 implied HN points • 11 Jul 20
  1. Thorstein Veblen identified the leisure class in capitalism as idle individuals who did not engage in productive work.
  2. The power dynamics in capitalism are based on those who create value through industry and those who live off money itself.
  3. Veblen viewed the crisis of capitalism as a result of internal competition within the leisure class and its nature of discarding individuals who cannot keep up.

Contemplation and Weapons of Meme Destruction

19 implied HN points • 13 Jun 20
  1. The concept of applied memetics is similar to propaganda throughout history.
  2. Militarized memetics focus on purpose and action, unlike theoretical memetics which are for contemplation and study.
  3. Weaponizing memetics without contemplation can lead to flawed strategies in combating 'malignant memes'.

Futurist rioting, conceptualism and sensuality

19 implied HN points • 02 Jun 20
  1. The Futurist Manifesto was a celebration of speed, youth, violence, and technology.
  2. Futurism is an aesthetic, not an ideology - it ages better and operates at a deeper, sensory level.
  3. The internet's visual abundance allows any aesthetic to flourish - seen in the real-life riots.

Liquefying the Heartland: an experiment in wild geopolitical speculation

19 implied HN points • 28 May 20
  1. The Heartland, according to Mackinder, is a critical power center due to its population and resources.
  2. Spykman emphasized the importance of controlling the Rimland in shaping global conflicts.
  3. Geopolitical dynamics are influenced by geographical changes like melting Arctic ice and the potential for new power shifts.

From based to cringe: Tabarnia and badly waged memetic guerrilla

19 implied HN points • 23 May 20
  1. The Spanish War of Succession in the early 1700s had significant impacts on Europe's political landscape and power dynamics.
  2. The Bourbons' centralization efforts following the war changed the structure and governance of the Spanish territories.
  3. The rise and fall of the Tabarnia meme showcase the dynamics of cultural guerrilla warfare and how it can evolve or fade over time.

The deconstruction of conventional warfare and cultural banditry

19 implied HN points • 18 May 20
  1. Guerrilla tactics have been used for centuries by various groups and have influenced modern military strategies.
  2. The concept of Netwar, involving a technologically enhanced guerrilla warfare approach, has been successful in conflicts like the Afghanistan offensive.
  3. Innovative military tactics, such as 'negative geometry' and unconventional urban warfare, have been developed to combat traditional enemies.

Parrhesia, subversion and piracy: the rise of the cyber-optimists

19 implied HN points • 15 May 20
  1. Parrhesia means speaking boldly and truthfully without holding back.
  2. Integrity is about being simple and unified in thoughts, speech, and actions.
  3. The rise of cyber-optimists is rooted in a culture of jamming, piracy, and viral influence.

Geopolitical Change Denialism

19 implied HN points • 11 May 20
  1. People tend to quickly side with what they already know in geopolitical discussions.
  2. China's economic dependency on the US is disputed, with both countries having strong ties but also vulnerabilities.
  3. The US-China dynamic is complex, with considerations of power, diplomacy, and potential future scenarios.

CUSC: wokeness, technoutopia, and outdated futures

19 implied HN points • 04 May 20
  1. Critical-Utopian Socialism-Communism (CUSC) arose after the French Revolution and aimed to create a new society with justice and equality.
  2. The CUSC criticized usual social structures and endorsed technological progress, promoting industrialism and a technocracy.
  3. CUSC ideas have influenced modern movements like Woke Left and communal living projects, showing how past visions of utopia can become obsolete.

Revolution defanged: Bourgeois Conservative Socialism

19 implied HN points • 01 May 20
  1. Marx and Engels saw conservative socialism as hindering revolutionary acceleration by focusing on reform instead of action.
  2. Conservative socialism, through sentimentalism, erodes revolutionary potential by aiming to improve existing systems rather than initiate change.
  3. Conservative socialism serves as a 'vaccine' against revolutionary movements in countries where communism didn't succeed.

Men Towards the Ruins: German Socialism

19 implied HN points • 29 Apr 20
  1. German socialism was a unique form of reactionary socialism in post-Enlightenment Germany.
  2. German socialism was marked by an abstract, idealist nature that made it adaptable to different cultural contexts.
  3. German socialism evolved with communism but maintained a revolutionary streak focused on overcoming class distinctions.

Thucydides within: the origins of Reaction

19 implied HN points • 26 Apr 20
  1. Feudal, petty-bourgeois, and German socialism were key reactions to capitalist revolution in the 19th and 20th centuries.
  2. The upwardly-mobile merchant class accumulated capital and faced backlash from traditional ruling classes in Europe.
  3. Feudal socialism agitated the proletariat against the bourgeois, while petty-bourgeois socialism aimed to restore traditional production relations.

The Anti-Socialist Load

19 implied HN points • 23 Apr 20
  1. Capitalism and communism are seen as two phases of the same historical engine.
  2. US foreign policy is becoming more unpredictable and unreliable for its allies.
  3. Manifesto discusses the rivalry between socialism and communism, highlighting socialism's deceleration and different schools of thought.

The Communist Manifesto's Greatest Hits

19 implied HN points • 20 Apr 20
  1. The Communist Manifesto predicted that Capitalism is global and Communists would become the ruling class.
  2. There are historical synergies between capitalists and communists, as shown by family relations of Marx and Engels.
  3. For Marx and Engels, Communists were considered the most qualified group to lead the international revolutionary movement.

Cosmopolitics for the modern Leviathan

19 implied HN points • 10 Apr 20
  1. The future of space exploration is uncertain, with a shift towards private and government collaboration.
  2. Exploration and exploitation of space can be compared to historical ocean exploration and colonization.
  3. Space powers today focus on practical, known resources in space, similar to maritime powers focusing on known territories.

On the memetic nature of conflicts: narrative, political identity, and discipline

19 implied HN points • 08 Apr 20
  1. Conflicts have different narratives and political identities, influencing how they are perceived and participated in.
  2. Political distinctions like oppressor vs. liberator organize conflicts comprehensively.
  3. Understanding the memetic nature of a conflict and the narratives involved is crucial for successful management and operation strategies.

Political mitosis

19 implied HN points • 05 Apr 20
  1. Political differences are defined by friend vs. enemy distinctions.
  2. Civil conflict can be seen as a form of political mitosis.
  3. Culture war leads to the splitting of political units into two distinct entities.

A slightly better form of metonymy

1 HN point • 19 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Geopolitics International relations
  1. Geopolitical discourse often simplifies arguments to a state's interests based on geography or anatomy.
  2. Geopolitical actors are seen as a combination of physical body (territory) and political 'soul', with behavior linked to geography.
  3. Referring to countries and states as active participants in global power struggles is outdated; they are more accurately objects of desire and dispute.

An Afghanistan hot take before SHTF

0 implied HN points • 16 Aug 21
  1. The true meaning behind the abrupt ending of the Afghan War remains hidden.
  2. The goal of the Empire's mission in the Middle East was to prevent the Islamists from winning and to maintain destabilization in the region.
  3. Afghanistan's strategic importance lies in its future potential, especially in relation to China's interests and the New Great Game between global powers.

Coronavirus of the mind

0 implied HN points • 13 Apr 20
  1. Forced isolation due to coronavirus can lead to self-reflection and confronting one's nature
  2. Extended isolation can bring clarity but also unsettling thoughts and temptations
  3. Mental viruses of despair and collapse can emerge during prolonged quarantine