The Structure of Experience

Poet Anne Winters describes "a change in the structure of experience", a phrase which I believe helps us think about the rise in various populisms, now morphing into ever more radicalized political expressions. Liberals naturally bemoan the trend. And they are correct in pointing out the danger to their precious stability. But these new radicals are the direct result of liberalism's ill-considered embrace of accelerated techno-capitalism. There has been a qualitative shift, a jarring speed-up in the "structure of experience" and that blind, euphoric optimism that social affects could be managed through science and expertise has proven disastrous. It is an ancient story, the socerer's apprentice, Pandora's Box, Faustus, Fankenstein or Icarus. Drunk on confidence that the way forward is clear, just mix modern finance with technological wizardry and everyone will enjoy the fruits of our special genius. What could possibly go wrong? But the cry of our age is Slow The Fuck Down! All authentic politics, left or right stems from this one desperate plea. When the inner workings, the algorithims and physics and economic formulas are beyond our comprehension, multiplying at rates impossible, to absorb, rational response will slip over to the irrational, the illiberal, the fantastical and finally violent reaction. So when we hear these warnings from the status quo about the threats to law and order we can ony shake our heads in wonder. You are just now realizing the danger? Really? It's not just the whining of us old idiots. We joke that young people can help us program our devises, help us install the latest software, de-code the crazy jargon, but they are suffering their own special hell. Immersed in instant media and the frantic flux of cyber life, they are the guinea pigs for this profit driven experiment. The crisis of meaning has been delayed by expanded credit and mountains of things, stuff, fluff, noise and games. But as it unravels expect wierd. And pain.