Re: Neo-Nazis and Crypto-Libertarians
To whom it may concern:
After sending the previous email, as my attention was turning to another project, I experienced a pang of conscience related to something I said.
There at the end, with a flair of bravado (which only weakness would feign), I claimed that “neo-Nazis and crypto-libertarians” would find no safe harbor on our platform… unlike those OTHER platforms, being the implication.
This remains essentially true, but in retrospect, I felt it was unfair to lump in “crypto-libertarians” with the easy target of evil Nazis. Upon reflection, I realized that I have (or, er… had) friends who might identify with either the “crypto” or the “libertarian” side of that label, or both. They are just people looking for easy riches, and to spend their money however they see fit. Admirable? Not really. But evil? On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Dante’s innermost circle of hell… maybe a 3?
I have no huge quarrel either with “crypto,” in and of itself, nor “libertarianism,” as a worldview. (I might even call myself a “libertarian socialist,” among other things.) Who doesn’t want FREEDOM, after all? My only concern is that the choices stemming from our “free will” are accompanied by an equal dose of responsibility; that we own the consequences of our actions (or lack thereof). True, I think my tech bros could use a little more heart. But we’d all do well to practice more compassion, overall.
So much for my moral philosophy. I probably should have said “crypto-fascists” and made it easy on myself. As it turns out, Metapsychosis does accept and welcome donations of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and any other currency, commodity, or equity vehicle that could be channeled to our writers and artists, fighting the good fight.
Here are those receiving addresses, for your reference:
Bitcoin (BTC):
3DsjRNqDGnYf5Q7wnGETsSfD5UcSrL8zT7
Ethereum (ETH)—on the Ethereum network only:
0xdbBc076D9fF724Ba8103e43F075a5EB9C6d5f8c7
As for “neo-Nazis,” well, of course, they’re people too. They love their children, etc. As odious and ignorant as their beliefs are, as human specimens, they are not unlike you or me, fundamentally. We are all connected in the One Great Web of darkness, ignorance, mystery, splendor, and occasional affordances of levity and grace.
I should have recalled the opening epigraph to Geoffreyjen’s forthcoming novel, Messioph: The First Book of Ido, which we are in the latter stages of editing. They quote Dostoevsky, one of the true great novelists (yet still a fallen human soul):
“Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.”
Is there any greater spiritual challenge that any of us can face than to forgive our enemies, those who have harmed us, those who, by whatever theological standard, have perpetrated evil and caused us to suffer?
How else are we going to get out of the mess this world is in?
First, yes, we must STOP the evil… stop bombing people, stop harboring hate in our hearts (and on our platforms), stop feeding the beast; then we must go out about the almost impossible yet absolutely necessary work of repentance, forgiveness, remembering, yes, remembering, and yet letting go….
This theme will come up again and again over the coming months and years, both in the world at large and in the microcosm of our publishing efforts. (Just wait for Andrea’s book.) We are all on this cosmic/earthly/spiritual/fleshly journey together. There is no vaccine for the horrors of human history. No one is immune. No one is innocent (unless we all are). Everyone is complicit to some degree. It is still good to be alive.
That’s all I wanted to say, I think…
If you wish, we can continue this conversation in a suitable venue. As always, thank you for reading. I know that your time and attention are precious, your thoughtfulness and receptivity a gift; and I’m grateful for your listening ear.
On with the show,
Marco V Morelli
Editor-in-Chief, Metapsychosis journal
Co-Creator, Cosmos Co-op
@madrush: on Mastodon | on Infinite Conversations
Thanks for this clarification, Marco. TBH I was feeling a desire to unfollow after that recent email. Not because I’m a crypto-libertarian or a Nazi but because I’m from the traditional left and, TBH, I find the current left in sanctimony mode as repugnant these days as the right. The whole fucking bird is a carcass. And that includes socialists, who I watched in 2020-2022 condemning people for standing up against that little bout of corporate fascism masquerading as a proper pandemic response. Condemning people for doing what it itself should have been doing but didn’t, because the left’s focus these days is on the right, not on the powers.
The fan-shit is everywhere, as far as I’m concerned, so thanks for the clarification. Maybe one day if I’m confident enough to submit to places again (feels doubtful), I will submit to Metapsychosis again.