A CALMversation with Benjamin Boyce
Benjamin Boyce Interview
I recorded a really fun and wide-ranging conversation with Benjamin Boyce last Saturday, and it dropped on his YouTube channel yesterday evening. This was actually take #2 of our discussion; the first one took place a week earlier, however technical difficulties with audio capture meant we had to take another run at it. It may have actually worked out for the better; looking back I think I nerded out a little too hard during the first one and segued onto some rather obscure topics (Karl Wittfogel and his concept of “hydraulic despotism” probably have some lessons we can apply to understanding and reigning in Big Tech, but it’s a bit off the beaten path WRT antifa and leftist street tactics) but the second take I think was a little tighter.
There’s a point where I blank on the name while briefly touching on a particular concept, FYI I was talking about reflexive conditioning/control statements. Alas the name didn’t return to me until after we finished recording. Meh, it happens to us all occasionally.
Any way, Ben is an interesting fellow. An associate of Bret Weinstein and currently a writer and social commentator, he found himself on this path when -as a left-leaning student at Evergreen College during the 2017 riots- he had his first collision with the bleeding edge of militant Woke activism. That experience may not have turned him conservative, but it did push him in the direction of something that later became known as the Intellectual Dark Web -a loose, politically diverse (network? movement? club?) any way, collection of philosophers, thinkers, writers, and commentators with a commitment to the free exchange of ideas. Ben might object to that characterization, but IMO it’s fair to say he’s at least IDW-adjacent.
Hope you enjoy our chat as much as we did!
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Cashapp: $eesmith4
I think that part of the drift towards blue states and the tacit support of violence in left organized protests stems from the widespread disillusion with our current "capitalist democracy" and the recognition of the huge disparity in wealth, with many, even in the middle class, feeling disenfranchised. This fuels a populism from both ends, with a quick decision to favor left oriented socialistic thinking vs the perceived opposite - an authoritarian strong man regime. It's a false dichotomy of course, but image and perception is very powerful and much easier than looking into nuance.
Excellent podcast with BB.