Amerika

Shifting tectonics of history move under our feet, and while we do not know what direction they move, we can feel the grinding, an auditory and physical chaos which has just begun to drone out the blithe vapid murmurs of a dying age.

Although few know it, these changes are brought on by historical forces, namely the relative values of different design patterns for civilizations. Whatever is most efficient out-competes the rest.

This shows us a move from the nation-state to the civilization-state as nation-states die in a fugue of pollution, diversity, corruption, debt, and incompetence:

Summarising the civilisation-state model, the political theorist Adrian Pabst observes that “in China and Russia the ruling classes reject Western liberalism and the expansion of a global market society. They define their countries as distinctive civilisations with their own unique cultural values and political institutions.”

In his influential 2012 book The China Wave: Rise of a Civilizational State, the Chinese political theorist Zhang Weiwei observed with pride that “China is now the only country in the world which has amalgamated the world’s longest continuous civilization with a huge modern state… Being the world’s longest continuous civilization has allowed China’s traditions to evolve, develop and adapt in virtually all branches of human knowledge and practices, such as political governance, economics, education, art, music, literature, architecture, military, sports, food and medicine. The original, continuous and endogenous nature of these traditions is indeed rare and unique in the world.” Unlike the ever-changing West, constantly searching after progress and reordering its societies to suit the intellectual fashions of the moment, Weiwei observes that “China draws on its ancient traditions and wisdoms,” and its return to pre-eminence is the natural result.

Since we pay attention to the higher level thinkers here, what does this tell us is happening?

Yes, Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations.

What else do we see hints of in here?

Julius Evola’s traditionalism.

Democracy and consumerism — including the diversity necessary to keep them in power — find themselves facing obsolescence. It is doubtful that anyone (sane) will mourn them.

Tags: adrian pabst, civilization-state, clash of civilizations, democracy, julius evola, samuel p. huntington, zhang weiwei