Category Archives: Futurism

Robert Stark interviews Scott Jackisch

Oakland Futurist

 

 

 

 

Scott Jackisch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Rabbit interview Scott Jackisch. Scott is an IT consultant located in Oakland, CA. He blogs at The Oakland Futurist and runs the East Bay Futurists meetup.

Topics include:

Scott’s interest in futurism and science fiction writers including Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and William Gibson
Scott’s futurist meetup and how there is a strong interest in futurism in the San Francisco Bay Area
How in the modern era people are isolated, and how meetups can fill in that void, and create new communities
How the meetup itself is not political, but rather an open discussion on futurism
The different political factions within futurism including liberals, libertarians, and Neoreactionaries
Scott’s critique of Neoreaction, how his main disagreement is over their rejections of progress, but can sympathize with their reaction to extreme political correctness
Rabbit’s point that he got interested in Neoreaction because the idea of people being able to form their own societies appealed to him, but was turned off by the extreme traditional views
Scott’s political views, and how he is basically a Centrist and Pragmatist
Why Scott accepts Realpolitik, which is a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations
Transhumanism
Scott’s series The Robot Lord Scenario, which he plans on turning into a novel
Trends in warfare,  how the invention of the gun leveled the playing field, but that automative weapons will enforce inequality
Daniel Suarez’s novel Kill Decision
Economic automation and it’s implications
Economics, whether capitalism is necessary for innovation, and how a functional economic needs both capitalism and socialism
The Bay Area’s housing crisis, NIMBYism, and where to build new housing
Vertical Living and urban agriculture
Retro Futurism, dystopian and utopian visions of the future
How science fiction writers can provide narratives for engineers to build their visions(ex. Elon Musk and the Culture series)
The role of sociopaths in society, and how power generally gets concentrated by sociopaths
From a realpolitiks perspective how do you take power away from people in power that are causing harm?
Scott’s message for people to listen to each other instead of demonizing the other side


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Robert Stark interviews Rabbit about Hillary Clinton’s Speech & the Alternative Left

Clinton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Topics include:

Hillary Clinton’s speech against the Alt Right
Donald Trump’s response to the speech, that there’s no altright or altleft”  just “common sense.”
This comment led to a massive inquiry into the Alt Left and resulted in massive traffic for Rabbit’s AltLeft blog
AltLeft in the National News
How mainstream journalists often fail to do research on the topic they are covering
How mainstream conservatives are now saying Hillary Clinton is behind the Alt Left
Conservative trolls on Twitter accusing Rabbit of being part of Clinton’s campaign
Many people are also claiming the Alt Left is Bernie Sanders’ and Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s
How the Alt Left is a movement started by blogger Robert Lindsay for liberals who oppose political correctness
Rabbit’s Alt Left Manifesto
Third Positionist, Rabbit views them as potential allies but is also in conflict with them over their opposition to his interest in futurism, modern art, and his socially liberal views
Is there room for a chic, left wing, futurist variety of “soft fascism?”
How political labels such as left and right have become obsolete
Rabbit’s plans for his blog to focus more on culture instead of politics
The Vaporwave themed Neonopolis in Las Vegas
Conceptual ideas for self contained autonomous futurist societies


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Robert Stark, Rabbit, & Alex von Goldstein discuss Retro Futurism

Eighties-Fu

 

 

 

 

 

Sov-Fu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It-Fu

Vic-Fu

Topics include:

The concept of Retro Futurism as how the past envisioned the future
How in the 20th Century society was undergoing rapid change and technological progress
How people today are either pessimistic about the future, or view the present as the future(The Current Year)
Whether Retro Futurism is pure fantasy, an alternative universe, or a blueprint for the future
The Future portrayed in film from utopia to dystopia
The 1927 film Metropolis, which was the first major future film, and inspired by Italian Futurism
How Art Deco was the first major futurist movement in Architecture, and perfectly combines Futurism and Tradition
How Neon Lighting has symbolized the future from the Art Deco era to the 80’s Cyberbunk aesthetic
The Synthwave/New Retro Wave Genre in music that emerged in the mid 2000’s, inspired by  80’s New Wave(ex. FM Attack, Robots with Rayguns, Electric YouthCollegeKavinsky)
How 80’s music was much more future oriented than today’s music
Greg Johnson reviews New Order’s Music 
The Euro-centric and deconstructionist elements to Electronic Music
Rabbit’s involvement in the early 90’s rave scene, and how it started out as futuristic but fizzled out into trashy pop culture
The revival of the 60’s Brit pop sound in the 90’s
How culture has become stagnant and people are looking to the past for inspiration
Vaporwave, which is an aesthetic that emerged online, inspired by 80’s and early 90’s illustrations, video games, and elevator music
The Vaporwave Documentary
Donald Trump as an 80’s Retro-Futurist Vaporwave Icon
Cyberpunk, how it was inspired by 80’s Films such as Blade Runner, as well as Science Fiction writer Issac Asimov, it’s popularity with the Dark Enlightenment and Silicon Valley Techno-libertarians.
Steampunk, which a Futurist movement inspired by Victorian Aesthetics, Old Train Stations, and Science Fiction writers such as HG Wells and Jules Verne
Islamic Retro Futurism
The Mid Century Space age aesthetic
Soviet Retro Futurism
Las Vegas, the Retro-Futurist theme to the city, and hypothetical casino designs(Steampunk, Art Deco, Midcentury Space Age, Cyberpunk, Vaporwave)
Architect John C. Portman Jr. who built futuristic hotels with massive atrium in the 70’s and 80’s
The 80’s mall aesthetic, and how 80’s malls were a lot more futuristic and innovative than the ones being built today
Alex’s point that there is a transcendent element to the mall experience
How Retro-Futurism provides inspiration for architecture and urbanism
How Retro-Futurism offer a Third Alternative to the past and present course
How right wing publications tend to be mostly political, while left wing ones will focus on culture and insert politics
Whether Retro-Futurism is an aesthetic for a New Political Movement(ex.Radical Centrism)

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Robert Stark interviews Richard Wolstencroft

Richard Wolstencroft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert stark and co-host Alex von Goldstein interview Richard Wolstencroft. Richard is a filmmaker, writer, events promoter, and founder and festival Director of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. Check out his articles at Alternative Right

Topics include:

Richard’s film Pearls Before Swine(Watch here)
The actor and musician Boyd Rice who stars in Pearls Before Swine
The theme of fascism, power, and sadomasochism in the film
Influences on the film include A Clockwork OrangeAmerican Psycho, and Salò, which also deals with the themes of fascism and sadomasochism, and was temporarily banned in Australia
Richard’s horror film Bloodlust
Censorship and Film in Australia
The BDSM Hellfire Club which Richard owned
The psychology and philosophy of sadomasochism, and how it relates to politics(Master–slave dialectic)
Social Darwinism
How culture is a more effective way to be subversive than through politics
Richards Theory of Transcendental Fascism
Richard’s political views, and his interest in the Alternative Right and Nationalism
Richard’s point that the left and right should unite against the globalist 1%(ex. the left should agree to be more anti-immigration, and the right more socialist)
The theory that psychopaths evolve through evolution to deal with overpopulation
The film HIGH-RISE based on the book by British writer J.G. Ballard
The film “HAIL, CAESAR!” BY THE COEN BROTHERS
Aesthetics in Film
Richard’s new film The Second Coming
Richard’s porn documentary THE LAST DAYS OF JOE BLOW

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Robert Stark, Rabbit, & Alex von Goldstein talk about Future Trends & Scenarios

Future Trends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Topics include:

The conservative concept of self sufficiency( ex.working for a corporation, driving a car, and owning a home, in the suburbs) vs. the traditionalist one(ex.growing your own food), and the futurist one
The traditionalist Larpy goal of a society where everyone grows their own food, and how local agriculture should be encouraged, but it is unrealistic for everyone to be involved in it
The growth of the suburbs, from the original Railroad suburbs of the 19th Century, to the post war car oriented suburban sprawl
How small towns that have access to both urbanism and wilderness are the ideal place to live for those who can afford them(ex. Marin CountyPalo Alto, and East Bay Hills in the SF Bay Area, and parts of  North Jersey)
New Urbanism, which seeks to re-create walkable communities out of car oriented suburbs
James Howard Kunstler‘s theory that Peak oil will lead to the death of suburbia and re-creation of localized communities
Future predictions that Peak Oil will lead to a Mad Max style collapse
Conspiracy Theories, the theory that the elites want chaos vs the frog in the boiling pan theory, and Alex’s comment that the elite’s have a short time frame
A Futurist Utopian model that’s ecologically sustainable, where robots do all the work, and that has a Basic income
How a basic income could create a utopia if implemented the right way, but could also be abused by the elites
How the key problem with society is that the elites control to much of the wealth, and the underclass control a large share of the population, and how to remedy that
Mike Judge’s Idiocracy
Transhumanism
The Nineteen Eighty-Four Police State Scenario
The US Prison System, and how inhumane condition only make people more dangerous
How we have open border combined with a surveillance state
How terrorism, “hate speech”, and the underage sex hysteria have been used to justify complete surveillance of the internet
How every political ideology is tied to a cultural aesthetic
Our upcoming show on Retrofuturism, and how Retrofuturism is the perfect aesthetic for Radical Centrism, because they are both based on fusionism


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Robert Stark interviews Zoltan Istvan about his Campaign for President

Zoltan Istvan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Rabbit talk to Zoltan Istvan. Zoltan is a trans-humanist and futurist writer, philosopher, and journalist. He has written for Vice, Newsweek the Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and was a reporter for the National Geographic Channel, and is the author of The Transhumanist Wager. Visit his official campaign site Zoltan Istvan for US President 2016

Topics include:

Why Zoltan is running primarily to raise awareness about Trans-humanism
The importance of investing in science and technology
Addressing the ethical reservations about Trans-humanism and whether it could lead to dangerous outcomes
The Trans-humanist goal of life extension
The Trans-humanist goal to eliminate human flaws and whether that could lead to a boring existence
Trans-humanist breackthroughs in healthcare
How to make Trans-humanism affordable and accessible to the public
Psychologist Timothy Leary as a precursor to Trans-humanism and his work to expand human consciousness
Zoltan’s support for a basic income, how it will become necessary due to automation, and how to implement it
The ideological divides within the Trans-humanist movement and how Zoltan considers himself fairly Centrist
The Transhumanist Bill of Rights

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Robert Stark and Rabbit talk about their trip to Las Vegas

Polaroid 100%

Las Vegas-California Casino

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Rabbit blogs at AltLeft.com

Topics include:

Robert and Rabbit’s recent trip to Las Vegas
How Las Vegas epitomizes capitalism and commercialism at it’s fullest
How Las Vegas demonstrates how capitalism is both a force for creation and destruction
How Las Vegas lacks any historic preservation
How despite it’s flaws Las Vegas offers an otherworldly fantasy experience
The Resort Fees
The ethics of Gambling
The political and demographic landscape of Las Vegas and Nevada
How Las Vegas lacks any significant SWPL presence
How Las Vegas attracts the trashiest of pop culture
Douche Bag culture, it’s different subsets, and how it’s absorbing hipster culture
The Aesthetics of Las Vegas Casinos, Robert and Rabbit’s favorites, and conceptual casino designs
The different era’s of Las Vegas, including Vintage Las Vegas, the themed resorts of the 90’s, and the newer casinos
The Las Vegas monorail
Whether Las Vegas resorts are a model for urban living

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Robert Stark interviews Rabbit about Futurism

I-F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rabbit blogs at AltLeft.com

Topics include:
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti & Italian Futurism
Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism
How Futurism emphasized speed, technology, youth, and violence, and objects such as the car, the aeroplane, and the industrial city
How Hitler’s exhibition on “degenerate art” included Marinetti and other futurist’s work
Italian Futurism’s connection to Fascism and how that led to it’s marginalization
How despite that Italian Futurism had a major influence on culture, art, and architecture including Cubism and Art Deco
Antonio Sant’Elia and his Futurist urban vision which inspired the films Metropolis and Blade Runner
Constantin von Hoffmeister’s National Futurism
Guillaume Faye’s Archeofuturism
Transhumanism
A Short Trip Through The Long View


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Robert Stark interviews Thomas Rinaldi about New York Neon

NY NEON Cover_r2_Final.indd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Rabbit talk to Thomas Rinaldi. He is the author of New York Neon and blogs at  nyneon.blogspot.com

Topics include:

How Thomas got interested in Neon growing up, and how he noticed it’s decline
His project charting and photographing existing  Neon Signs before they disappear
The History of Neon, how it was invented in Victorian England in 1898, and latter made into signs by French Scientist Georges Claude
How the peak of Neon was in the late 1920’s and  30’s(Art Deco Era), but already started to see a decline in the 40’s
How Neon was originally used by Corporate chains but latter delegated to small businesses
Churches & Neon
How Neon  was originally seen as glamorous but latter became associated with seediness
Neon in Cinema, contrasting Dick Powell’s  glamorous Gold Diggers Of 1933 – The Shadow Waltz and his 1944 detective film Murder, My Sweet, which depicts Neon as seedy
The 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life which also uses Neon to depict seediness
Hotel Neon Signs and and Hotel Neon in the Film Noire Genre
Neon in future films including the utopian 1927 film Metropolis and the dystopian 1982 film BLADE RUNNER
Incandescent Bulb Signs
The history, decline and revitalization of Time Square, and how there are very few Neon Signs left
How Neon has become replaced by LED Signs
The myth that Neon signs are not eco friendly
Historic preservation issues regarding Neon Signs
New Neon Signs designed in the Vintage style
Neon in San Francisco and the book San Francisco Neon
Las Vegas, how newer casino’s have rejected Neon, and how older signs are preserved at the Neon Museum
The popularity of Neon in Asian cities
How there is a renewed interest in Neon
Artist who depict Neon in their work including Robert Stark
Neon in 1960s Pop Art
The importance of patronizing businesses that have Neon Signs

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Robert Stark interviews Rabbit about Robert Heinlein

RHL

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein was an influential and controversial author of the genre in his time. Robert Stark and Rabbit discuss his work as well as his philosophical and political views.

Topics include:

How Heinlein is difficult to pigeon hole ideologically, having been associated with leftism, libertarianim, and fascism
How one can interpret his with their own ideology(ex.libertarians: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Hippies: Stranger in a Strange Land)
Rabbit’s view that Expanded Universe best demonstrates Heinlein’s outlook
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, which is about a lunar prison colony revolt
Counter-Currents article Heinlein for Right-Wingers
Heinlein’s Farnham’s Freehold about whites  being enslaved by blacks in the future and how the book has been interpreted as being both racist and anti-racist
Heinlein’s “contradictory” views on race
How Heinlein was an advocate of sexual liberation
Sex in Heinlein’s work and how he explored sexual taboos such as incest
Heinlein’s rejection of liberal democracy, and his belief that people must prove they are vested in society in order to participate in democracy
Heinlein’s economic views and advocacy of Social Credit
Heinlein’s  support for space exploration and belief in an infinite Universe
Heinlein’s Red Planet about a colony on Mars
Heinlein’s experiences with censorship
The vision of the future in Mid Century Science Fiction versus that of today
Mid Century Space Age aesthetics
Trad Youth’s critique of Rabbit’s Alt Left
Greg Johnson’s West Coast White Nationalism and how it is similar to the Alt Left
How Rabbit was part of the early hipster scene and how he saw it’s decline into trashy pop culture

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