(1) one who combines anarchist political philosophy with less radical contemporary ideas, either to participate in mainstream electoral politics or to avoid appearing insane to uninitiated normies
(2) another term for anarcho-syndicalist
(2) another term for anarcho-syndicalist
(1) Vaush might be a dyed-in-the-wool anarchist, but he tries to be a synarchist on his channel to reach a wider audience.
(2) As a political bloc, synarchists stand for solidarity, direct democracy, direct action, and worker self-management.
(2) As a political bloc, synarchists stand for solidarity, direct democracy, direct action, and worker self-management.
by prevailingwest July 27, 2021
To give the appearance of being adamant or decisive, while really having no intention to "make good" on one's promises (or threats). Derived from the tradition of the jurisprudent's gavel in US courts, which is used in television dramas to silence a querulous courtroom -- the gavel, despite conveying the image of power and authority, has in itself no inherent power (and so often proves insufficient at restoring "order in the court" amidst the outbursts of some headstrong witness or defendant). Because the gesture is itself only performative, it relies entirely upon the fear and awe of the hearer in order to retain its power.
"Coach will always gavulate about the importance of 'fundamentals' in basketball. But let a 6'11" kid show up to tryouts and it won't matter whether he can even dribble a ball."
by prevailingwest September 30, 2021
Amnesty International is a perfect example of an organization founded and run by a textbook Serenitarian.
by prevailingwest July 02, 2022
The modern school of political strategy which holds that, despite conventional belief to the contrary, very few elections are won by convincing supporters of other parties or candidates to support your candidate instead. Finkelthink doctrine holds that - in the modern world - voters' minds are already made up by the time an election begins. The trick instead is /to discourage supporters of your opponent from voting at all/.
To do this, a candidate must run a highly personalized negative campaign against the opponent: don’t demonize the party, demonize the candidate. People can be made to hate individuals more easily than institutions (and also with far more animus).
Facts matter little in the Finkelthink model. If some perceptual flaw on an opponent's part can be readily identified, then it can also be magnified by suggestion to catastrophic proportions. Even a 'bad' candidate may win a race handily if - once the unthinking masses have been finkeled with -- his opponent appears prohibitively worse by comparison.
Core principles of Finkelthink:
(1) 80% of the public doesn’t care about the news
(2) Perception, not content, is what matters most to mid-wit viewers
(3) The right 30-second soundbite can manipulate millions to your side (that is, away from the side of your opponent)
Carried out to a sufficient level, Finkelthink and its analogues can transform an apparent buffoon into the next Leader of the Free World.
To do this, a candidate must run a highly personalized negative campaign against the opponent: don’t demonize the party, demonize the candidate. People can be made to hate individuals more easily than institutions (and also with far more animus).
Facts matter little in the Finkelthink model. If some perceptual flaw on an opponent's part can be readily identified, then it can also be magnified by suggestion to catastrophic proportions. Even a 'bad' candidate may win a race handily if - once the unthinking masses have been finkeled with -- his opponent appears prohibitively worse by comparison.
Core principles of Finkelthink:
(1) 80% of the public doesn’t care about the news
(2) Perception, not content, is what matters most to mid-wit viewers
(3) The right 30-second soundbite can manipulate millions to your side (that is, away from the side of your opponent)
Carried out to a sufficient level, Finkelthink and its analogues can transform an apparent buffoon into the next Leader of the Free World.
"Once the Trump campaign was able to convincingly associate Hillary and her staff with corruption, Finkelthink took care of the rest."
by prevailingwest September 30, 2021
Operating outside of expected or designated channels, levels, or pathways of transmission. A thing described as "extravalent" is not easily classifiable, and may exhibit characteristics which alter over time. Extravelence is g-resistant, or counter-intuitive -- because it is not easily or conventionally understood, it defies rigid classification.
In the discourse of Western Philosophy, Kierkegaard's work appears uniquely extravalent among the turgid formulae of the positivists.
by prevailingwest July 02, 2022
Prioritizing one's own cleverness over intellectual (or spiritual) growth and substance. Derived from the biblical figure of Jacob, who is portrayed as a trickster and reprobate in the earlier days of his life.
Instead of reading the assigned material, Robert employed the age-old practice of Jacobating in order to reach the minimum word count on his essay.
by prevailingwest July 26, 2021
An individual or entity hired by an interest group to influence public opinion towards some desired end, esp. one with no ideological investment in that particular end as a cause or issue (i.e. acting purely out of financial interest). Political contractors are often expert propagandists, who seek to denature existing language in order to discredit or tarnish its users (typically the opposition).
Krystal, despite her anti-corporatist beliefs, has been a willing political contractor for several multimedia outlets that receive high levels of corporate funding.
by prevailingwest July 26, 2021