Kevin A. Carson's Blog, page 8
February 19, 2023
Of Lobsters, Caterpillars, and Catabolic Collapse
"I just realised: Companies(And Capitalism) are lobsters. Lobsters are biologically immortal, the 'old age' that kills them is not having enough energy to finish shedding their exoskeleton. We're reaching the point where the parasite load is too high and there's no energy to shed."
--@Trenchcoat_Mr on Twitter
Another way of saying this is that centralized, hierarchical economic models require support infrastructures and resource inputs that become larger and larger relative to output, until they collapse from input shortages and the weight of their own overhead.
The only way the system is surviving now is by catabolizing its own body -- vulture capitalists asset-stripping productive enterprises for cash. It's systematically destroying productivity for short-term profit.
Fortunately, this system is more like a caterpillar than a lobster. The body of the caterpillar may be turning to mush in its cocoon, but the nuclei of a successor system -- a decentralized, ephemeral, and low-overhead one -- are growing inside it.
--@Trenchcoat_Mr on Twitter
Another way of saying this is that centralized, hierarchical economic models require support infrastructures and resource inputs that become larger and larger relative to output, until they collapse from input shortages and the weight of their own overhead.
The only way the system is surviving now is by catabolizing its own body -- vulture capitalists asset-stripping productive enterprises for cash. It's systematically destroying productivity for short-term profit.
Fortunately, this system is more like a caterpillar than a lobster. The body of the caterpillar may be turning to mush in its cocoon, but the nuclei of a successor system -- a decentralized, ephemeral, and low-overhead one -- are growing inside it.
May 10, 2022
Final Warning
OK, I've been clicking "I'm not interested in this book" for six years now to no avail, and I'm tired of fooling around. From now on, every time I click "I'm not interested in this book" someone at Goodreads HQ will die.
December 23, 2021
Library Genesis Download Extension
If you add this extension to your Chrome browser, a link to the Library Genesis download page for a book will appear to the right of the title:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/de...
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/de...
November 22, 2021
Nothing works
Even clicking "Read" and giving it a one-star review doesn't make Grace and the Gravy Pirates stop showing up in my timeline.
November 21, 2021
I DO NOT WANT TO READ GRACE AND THE GRAVY PIRATES
Stop recommending it in my feed every single damn day.
Stop emailing me about it.
There's not even an "I'm not interested in this book" option I can click to get rid of it once and for all.
GO AWAY WITH THIS SHIT AND LEAVE ME ALONE.
Stop emailing me about it.
There's not even an "I'm not interested in this book" option I can click to get rid of it once and for all.
GO AWAY WITH THIS SHIT AND LEAVE ME ALONE.
November 18, 2021
New Chapter
I've added a new draft chapter -- Chapter Ten: "Cockup/Foulup" Theory -- to the manuscript of The State: Theory and Praxis https://thestatetheoryandpraxis.wordp...
November 6, 2021
Exodus Reorganization
Just did a major reorganization of the Table of Contents of The State that makes the chapter arrangement of Part II a lot more coherent and complete, and a WHOLE lot less tentative. It will be a while before I start actually posting the chapters of Part II, but I have a much better idea what will be in them. https://thestatetheoryandpraxis.wordp...
August 13, 2021
Based On My Reading Preferences...
...I might enjoy hacking up whoever keeps making these godawful recommendations with a machete
July 22, 2021
"The State" update
New draft chapter on Ralph Miliband added to "The State" manuscript https://thestatetheoryandpraxis.wordp...
June 20, 2021
New Chapter
I added a new draft chapter -- Chapter Five, on power elite theory -- to The State: Theory and Praxis https://thestatetheoryandpraxis.wordp...
