hygienic darkroom retreat

profound rest for the self‑healing psyche

a book by andrew durham

individualism

2022 August 17

An individualist politics is not enough to secure freedom. An individualist form of government is necessary to apply the politics. An individualist party is necessary to institute such a government.

Individualism has relied on the centralized state and traditional parties. But they are inherently collectivist. The centralized state involve delegation of power, representation, voting, secret societies, and arcane rules and laws. Traditional parties are intellectually impure. Their centralization and hierarchy mirror the states they are oriented toward. Together, centralized state and parties chew up the individualist vision and spit it out as collectivist tyranny.

Structure determines function. “The medium is the message” (McCluhan). “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us” (Churchill). The means are the end.

Ironically, the solution is the distributed organization of collectivist party activism. Distribution suits rebelliousness and individual initiative. It reflects the legal equality that underdogs yearn for.

But collectivism’s function is despotism. This has to be hidden. Once power is attained, distribution is discarded for centralization. Hierarchy is fortified. All rebellion is crushed.

Individualism’s function is liberation. This is its appeal. So it only has one face. Its party’s distribution manifests as the natural, permanent form of individualist government.

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For more details about this, see my new notes toward an individualist form of government, the individualist distributed hyperstate.

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