#utopian thinking

[appalachianfuturism]

ROBINSON: …But there’s what is sometimes called the “techno-utopianism” of Silicon Valley, which often you posit as totally unrealistic—we’re going to merge with machines and upload our consciousness and do things we don’t know how to do.

But these other things you cover, which we do know how to do, are utopian, crazy, and unrealistic.

GHODSEE: Exactly. It’s like the Coalition for Radical Life Extension, these people out in Silicon Valley who are basically trying to be immortal.

If you’re talking about universal health care, that’s totally utopian, but immortality is totally feasible. It’s a really weird double standard that tech bros and billionaires and Saudi princes get to dream up cities in the desert or like this new plan for a utopian city in Solano County in Northern California, but the rest of us are just going to be stuck with a housing crisis and homelessness. Why can’t ordinary people dream in a way that imagines a better future, rather than just constantly ceding this territory of blue sky thinking to the tech bros and the billionaires and the Saudi princes who have the means, at least theoretically, to realize those dreams?

#utopia #blue sky thinking #thinking outside the box #techno-utopianism #visionary fiction #utopian thinking #interviews #solarpunk #current affairs #Kristen ghodsee #writing

[leather-field]

Utopia

#pathologic #daniil dankovsky #peter stamatin #maria kaina #my art #i didn’t intend for them to look quite so much like porcelain dolls but i think it suits them #top 3 most insane utopians i love them <3

[onwhatcaptain]

Some days it just makes me unbearably sad that we will never really get spirk because Paramount thinks queerness is acceptable only in non-legacy or "unimportant" side characters because it wouldn't really damage their reputation. Which isn't really queerness at all if the leads can't have it.

#Just makes me really sad that they do so little to recognize the canon queerness they HAVE #And will invent new ways to introduce characters as queer or queercoded without having to put in real work to normalise it #Like making jokes about Chapel dating a girl or giving Ortegas a haircut does not make them queer in my mind #I need to see queerness performed. Queerness embraced. Queerness woven into the narrative #That's what makes spirk so special. #star trek #spirk #space husbands #k/s #kirk x spock #spock #s'chn t'gai spock #james t kirk #captain kirk #I just don't buy that a 23rd century utopian socialist world is straighter than ours today #they're probably so queer they're past the need for labels. #let Spock be queer. #It's not a win that Chapel had a comment about being bi. It means Paramount thinks she's so unimportant that she can't be a threat. #Let my girl BE bi!!!!! #erica ortegas #christine chapel

[statementlou]

So I see folks pointing out that Louis' circle A tattoo is more likely an aesthetic choice than an announcement of a political commitment to anarchism, and saying basically that that maybe makes him a bit of a poser and I mean- I GUESS. But I don't like to look at things that way and I don't think it's useful. As I see it the subversive sexiness of the symbols of resistance have ALWAYS been gateways for people who are drawn to the struggle in vague ways and that's GOOD. Aligning yourself with those values is good no matter the reason, in my book, especially given the wretched options available out there, but also the journey doesn't necessarily stop there. Gatekeeping queerness victimizes people who are just trying things out and starting to discover that it may run deeper than just trying on a new look who should instead be welcomed and helped along their path, and I fail to see how gatekeeping political affiliations is any different (plus how counterproductive to actual movement building is that?)

ANYWAY. What I really want to say about Louis is that while I KNOW that Louis is probably not secretly a theory reading anti-state communalist anarchist, I think that actually Louis' optimism and idealism (and his unwavering commitment to allying himself with the working class and embracing those roots) are a perfect fit for the philosophy and always have been. I know that anarchism is mostly understood as being about throwing molotov cocktails and fighting the state (and the allure of its symbols are that they signify this, a terrific aesthetic for him to choose to sign on with in my book), but that's honestly largely cartoonish stereotyping that comes directly from anti-anarchist state propaganda. That resistance is necessary in this hellscape of oppression we live in and is super important, but in its heart anarchism is only about the state in that the state and capitalism currently stands in the way of its goals. The whole point of anarchism is that it's NOT about the state! It's about being able to imagine something better than a state, it's about how we live and about how we SHOULD live, it's about HOPE and picturing something utopian and something free of the ways capitalism pits us against one another! What could be more Louis than that?

"I need you and you need me and I love that" is as beautiful a way of talking about the cornerstone of anarchism that is mutual aid as any long winded essay I've read (even if what he meant was contextually different), and I think when he talks again and again about how special the space fans have made around him is he is expressing an intuitive understanding of the importance of autonomous zones, places and moments outside of the shitty life imposed on us by the system (also a huge part of anarchist thought). Maybe I'm just being an optimist but I think that Louis DOES understand that caring for people and wanting self-determination and freedom for all and allying himself with the working class involves a certain amount of resistance to and positioning yourself in opposition to the state. Thinking the symbols of smashing that state are cool isn't meaningless; it's a CHOICE. There are other cool symbols out there and I just happen to think that feeling a resonance with certain ones is something in and of itself, even if at this moment he does not choose to start a fight with the media about it all.

#long version of this part maybe later… (orrr maybe here and now oops lol): #I believe we are all born natural anarchists with a desire to live in mutually supportive ways and in freedom #it only gets beaten out of people by the trauma of the system and being forced to struggle to survive #Louis shares with many privileged people a certain immaturity of not understanding those struggles #but I think that 'immaturity' can include- in smart and good people- not having lost sight of that utopianism #because they are able to conceptualize it because they live the way we all should be able to #free of so many of the survival struggles #(I think that in some areas maturity is code for 'beaten down to a good capitalist') #anyway and that's why autonomous zones are important: #because you HAVE to have the experience of freedom sometimes to be able to move towards it #you have to experience wins to be able to keep fighting #it's the candy crush theory of organizing lol like: people will simply give up and lose hope if everything is struggle and despair #and nothing is hope and success #you don't have to win the whole fight to get glimpses but you have to have moments #anyway a song I love that is about that is Saturday Night by the Coup it's a BOP go check her out she feels like winning #boots is a commie but that's okay he Gets It :P #anyway #anarchism #blah blah blah #I love being a louis apologist I should add that to my header what can I say: I love him #also look how many WORDS I can churn out when there's no show😂gotta fil the time somehow #send me questions I beg you we've got a long couple months ahead #comrade louis

[sergle]

“oh lol you still use cash?? you’re paying for that with Dollars??” look at the little baby who wants every transaction to be trackable

#ptuh ptuh <-- me spitting on you #i'm sorry but the future is not Only Digital Money. that's not the utopian currency you think it is. you little Ant. #sergle.txt #'me? I only use card so that everything I buy and every place I go is easily trackable and the money doesn't Feel Real' #'and i also can't easily Hand Money to another person (friend family shop owner homeless person) bc money has to go thru Official Channels'

[kayvsworld]

sorry to be doing mcu throwback complaints again and EXTRA sorry for it to be about cacw and aou, sorry, i just am thinking again that if marvel had. in aou. committed to letting steve rogers see that captain america graffiti calling him a fascist with his own two eyes i would have forgiven many of their subsequent deeds and crimes

#like hey. hey shh. cacw but they engage with the politics of it and also have in a previous movie made him look at that graffiti. chefs kiss #WHAT IF THEY LET HIM MAKE A SPEECH. CACW BUT IF THEY LET STEVE TALK. UTOPIAN #i know asking that of mcu is like asking a toddler to build you a house but its just SO INTERESTING. TO ME #THAT IT WAS MADE AND FILMED AND THEN SCRAPPED #that they had steve's reaction be to just remove the helmet identifying him with that symbol and Continuing On #it's just interesting is all i am saying it's Interesting #note: i am obviously not saying steve's a fascist i just think it would be INTERESTING for Little Guy Of WW2 Fame to see it with his eyes #maybe i'm just still mad that my captain america press conference was stolen and turned into a peggy funeral idk. sigh #i'm done i'm done i promise. i don't have fatws open in another tab letting it microwave my brain. dont worry #kayvswords #mcu desperately trying to tell stories without telling an actual story is so genuinely fascinating to me #they want the themes and aesthetics without the substance but like. it's a story. it'll say something whether you want it to or not #idk idk idk. fatws is also i think peak mcu politics it's very funny. fascinating company. theyre so bad at movie #WHY DID CACW HAPPEN LIKE THAT. WHO THOUGHT IT WAS SMART. christ god #i feel like i should tag this as something so i don't get jumped but idk if that's still the vibe here kfdjglkjdfh

[nortess]

начинай лаять

#she thinks and we all do #don’t mind me mixing p1 and p2 designs #it’s about the vibes #the utopians #maria kaina #pathologic #мор утопия #art #my art

[adobe-outdesign]

Does alcohol exist in Pokémon? Illegal drugs?

not only does alcohol exist but you can make it via Shuckle canonically

#because shuckle is based off of snake wine that's why its japanese category is 'fermentation pokemon' #anyway drugs and alcohol probably exist but I'd like to think addiction to them is less common #due to the pokemon world generally being more utopian than ours #pokemon #shuckle #pokemon headcanons #outdesign has headcanons

[carsonjonesfiance]

I did question the effectiveness of BDS on an individual level but G-d if only we could go back to the concept of ‘we should pressure the Israeli government to change’ being the mainstream Leftist instead of ‘Israel Can Not Exist’

After the horrors of their actions I’m not surprised at the current for changing in that direction but I am alarmed at the amount of people who have abandoned the very idea that the Israeli government is capable of change.

#maybe it’s become utopian idealism to believe in a two state solution to many people #but I still think it’s the solution least likely to provoke a bigger conflict in the region

[grirnoires]

who wants to die for love!!!!

#daniil dankovsky #pathologic #maria kaina #peter stamatin #sort of. anyway i was planning to include all tha utopians but i gave up... they are here in spirit ha #phone art #slightly related but i think dankovsky would take up candlemaking for a hobby. its thematic you know

[yellow-yarrow]

people always hate on brutalist architecture, and it's like, what do you mean when you look at those huge futuristic looking buildings with exposed structure and concrete, you don't feel the same feeling as when you are looking up at the night sky, or a mountain, or a huge animal. are you not getting existential. are you going to tell me next you also don't get emotional when you stand in front of a Rothko

#maybe im just hypersensitive but the raw look of materials on a building can be so beautiful #if i think about how some of them have this imagined utopian future vibe im going to cry #have you ever stood in front of a painting of a certain red shade that made you tear up #also sidenote i think the problem most of the time is that these brutalist buildings are not being taken care of #they are dirty and falling apart #its like if modern office buildings or malls or skyscrapers werent regularly cleaned they would be ugly too

[littleladymab]

♥ ERADICATE : Book 3 of Meliora [[a wip intro for @moon-and-seraph's WORDS INTO POTIONS March event]]

♠ Genre: Collapsing Post-Utopian, Mystery ♣ Series Summary: A mysterious benefactor invites citizens of Eminence, built on the remains of London, to participate in a game. The reward? Information on the darkness of the city and a chance to escape. All they have to do is prove they are worthy. ♦ Etc: writing tag || playlist

My goal this month is to actually finish the outline for this and NOT abandon it to simply start replanning the entire series from book 1 again. And somewhere between this and SW, hopefully write 4 chapters/about 10k.

Main Cast

♥ Ayn Starling: 19, lit student + ballerina, playlist ♥ Catoir Altair: 20, librarian, goes by the name "Fletcher Oswin", playlist ♥ Jonas Quinn: 20, hairdresser + gang leader, playlist

Snippet

Sender: The Program Manager Subject: Invitation to a Game

Message: My fellow citizens:

The illustrious city of Eminence stands as a beacon of success and security. Top class schools, an expanding array of businesses, and a world renowned medical team. Many find themselves drawn to it for these reasons.

I, like you, like many before, have dropped all that I was to make a fresh start in this New World ‘Eden’. And I, like you, like many before, find myself content to continue to make a living.

We do not dream of leaving.

What I am here to tell you is that it is not a problem of desire: You cannot leave.

As a fellow citizen of Eminence, it is my duty to entrust this secret to the curious few. Thus, I offer up Meliora, a game in which the willing participate, but only the fortunate will make it through.

I will not say much on the nature of this game -- not all of you will believe me. Meliora is a chance for you to obtain information on what those hungry for the truth will want more than anything: An answer to the riddle of Eminence.

Should you choose to accept my first invitation, I ask that you join the others at the little doors six days before the approaching ides. Expect to arrive in time for high tea.

There will be no consequences if you reject this offer. You will soon forget this message and continue on in blissful ignorance.

Choosing to participate proves to me that you are worthy of a way out.

I hope you will make the right decision.

Respectfully, The Program Manager

#ms: wip intro #m+s: wip #sine die #a lil miss original #lil miss writings #shoutouts to twilight mirage for the term 'post utopian' as a valid genre to me #it used to be dystopian when i started but truly i think post-utopian society is much more accurate

[your-subby-creature]

hello im a decently new sub how can i make sure my dom partner is enjoying our time together too?

First of all: I'm not the font of all knowledge and I can really only give my perspective based on what I personally do. Every Dom, sub, and dynamic is unique and everyone needs different things to feel fulfilled.

In my opinion, it really all comes down to communication and understanding the dynamic you're engaging in. You NEED to communicate with your Dom, this is utterly non-negotiable. Check in with them during and after scenes, ask them what they enjoy, talk about what makes a scene good for them and how they like to feel. Your Dom is a PERSON FIRST, not a character, not a role, a complex human person who doesn't inherently want all the same things you do. If you want to engage in a given kink and think that just because someone is a Dom that they inherently want to take that control? You're just as bad as Doms that presume subs want to give everything that they want. Full stop. If you can't have these kinds of conversations, you're not ready to be responsible and accountable for your own wants, desires, and actions, and thus aren't ready to be participating in kink dynamics.

This gets me to my second point: you HAVE to understand what a kink relationship really is. In a very real sense, kink is a game of pretend that has real-world emotional and physical consequences. There is NEVER a point in a scene, no matter what kind, where it stops being an interaction between consenting human adults with personhood and power. Let me repeat that more specifically: subs, there is never a time where you are not responsible for yourself and your actions. Your Dom is ALWAYS just another person, and any power they have over you is negotiated and consented to by BOTH parties, and can be changed at any time. You do not get to make another person entirely responsible for you; that is not how life works. In the D/s relationships we negotiate and consent to, we need to understand the realities that underlie our fictions and fantasies, otherwise we risk believing in them.

Believing in these fantasies without the backing of reality is what leads to many of the harmful situations we discuss in our community. It leads to us forgetting that both Doms and subs are people, and not kink dispensers to fulfill our fantasies. It leads to us treating each other poorly and shallowly, without regard for the human life on the other side. It leads to us making assumptions about what people "should" like or do, rather than what our partner(s) actually enjoy. It leads to a severe lack of critical thought about the dynamics, kinks, and roles we engage in, letting broader issues (like this one) fester and harm people.

I've been on my soapbox for a while, so I'll chill. TLDR: Your Dom is a person, and you must communicate and think through your interactions.

-your Creature

#Creature responds #anons #(future tags not abt this anon specifically im just ranting dont mind me) #gods could you imagine if people were willing to think critically abt kink #itd be utopian i tell you #but bc of white supremacy culture people think having any critique of a thing means you hate it and think its entirely bad #but istg we can be complex human beings and enjoy things we have critiques of #gods forbid there be nuance EVER

[transingthoseformers]

Hey how fucked up would it have been if Megatron refused to give them the cure in the Plague episode and Optimus just fucking died

#maccadam #transformers #transformers prime #tfp megatron #tfp optimus prime #i think about that scene too much. the one where they were in Megs's head #there are so many things that we could've seen during that #so many possibilities of what he can consider a dream in the ''this is what i want/love'' sense #a utopian future #prewar back when he was just Megatronus and optimus was just orion #you can also consider the other direction where he has way less control of his dream and it's what he fears the most #it could be snapshots of his life (kinda? like the cort patch interrogation montage episode with Starscream)

[luxe-pauvre]

Perhaps ‘utopia’ should be the start of political discussion rather than the end. When we engage in political debate, we attempt to argue for what we believe should be our priorities and establish the constraints of reality. It would seem that utopia violates this agreement by trying to argue for priorities that can obtain only outside the constraints of our world. To some, it would be nonsensical to claim as a political position that ‘we should abolish the police even though that is not possible’. The non-utopian could respond: ‘That may very well be true for some hypothetical world. But here and now we have crime. You must be realistic.’ The issue is that utopia challenges what we take to be realistic. And so the breakdown between utopians and non-utopians is not over the question of whether we are fated to obey the constraints of reality; the political debate concerns what is inalterable and what is changeable in our social life. […] Utopias have never taken themselves to be antithetical to the analysis of social reality and its limits. The grounds for utopia are to be found in the real frustrations of social life and thereby challenge not only our social priorities but also how much suffering is truly ineliminable. Utopias enable us to enunciate previously inchoate social needs in political space and make them a matter of public concern. The achievement, or even the demand, for this standpoint becomes an issue to which politics may be forced to respond.

William Paris, Utopian thinking prompts us to get real about society’s needs

#William Paris #Utopian thinking prompts us to get real about society’s needs

[meat-loving-meat]

I want to write a Vanyel/Stefen modern-with-magic AU soooo bad but I don’t know Valdemar lore like at all. There are six books standing between me and feeling comfortable enough in the lore to imagine what Valdemar might look like with the internet and planes

#anyway I have unhinged ideas about what modern Valdemar #like. I’m imagining Valdemar as a prosperous #happy country with a high level of social development and technology #public transit everywhere. universal basic income/free high quality healthcare/etc #like. not utopian. not by a long shot. #but overall doing well (at least in comparison to some of the other countries on Velgarth) #HOWEVER they are having this really divisive cultural moment about Heralds and the King #bc they’re basically appointed by a completely unaccountable higher power? and they have so much direct influence and control over #the life of an average person??? why should that be allowed? #so there’s a movement for direct democracy which is very successful at a local level #and is slowly making its way into higher levels of the government #and there’s suddenly intense scrutiny on the heralds. so when Vanyel gets caught up in a series of scandals it does a LOT of damage to #the institution of the heralds. but Vanyel is very very important to the security of the world #bc he successfully prevented the detonation of a nuclear weapon a few years earlier so he’s sort of the only thing standing between #the world and nuclear war #anyway I think that setting is way too dramatic for a weird gay fanfiction. so I’m workshopping it #vanyel ashkevron #last herald mage #gay herald in a squirrel suit