Crypto-bros
There are various philosophies promoted by prominent members of the technological elite that serve as dangerous distractions from the path towards a society that works towards the happiness of all its people.
These ideas are often unknown to most people, even as they influence the most powerful, and the most vulnerable, members of society.
Since it is primarily men in technology who spread these ideas, they are referred to here as crypto-bros.
Techno-Optimism
In the early days of the Internet, there was so much optimism and idealism about what distributed networks could do.
Unfortunately, for many of them these ideals devolved into digital pyramid schemes that confuse arbitrarily inflated asset values with intellect, enabling propaganda with building community, and enabling criminality with expanding freedom.
Techno-Optimism that once sought to solve the modern problems of humanity has turned into an objectivist, futurist fever-dream, using effective altruism to justify enriching themselves, and being more concerned about the happiness and well-being of future humans than those suffering in the here-and-now reality that their technologies are shaping.
The basic premise of techno-optimism, that human ingenuity will be able to provide solutions to problems like overpopulation and peak oil with GMOs and electric cars is true in many cases. The problem is that we can't see the future and we don't know which problems will actually get solved before things get really bad. Climate change is the primary example.
Techno-optimism breeds complacency and subverts collective action by placating people with promises of magical sci-fi solutions to problems that still need to be solved. We should do our best to find these solutions, but providing funding and changing incentive structures still requires collective action.
This is similar to the saying "God helps those who help themselves". Technology will help us, but only if we do the work to raise awareness of issues, fund the basic research, and engineer the solution even if it cannot be sold profitably. We can be optimistic that a solution can be found, without being complacent because we assume that someone else will.
TESCREAL
Crypto-bros promote a Mirror World version of metaculture based on TESCREAL -- Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism. While both systems of thought purport to be concerned about the future of humanity, metaculture focuses on what should be done in the here-and-now to help the living, while TESCREAL is focused on the sci-fi future when we have cyborg implants and colonize the stars. Such things are fun to contemplate, but it is incredibly sad and frustrating that so many of our smartest and most powerful minds dedicate their energy to helping theoretical future humans instead of living people on whom their money and talent could have a huge and immediate impact.
TESCREAL is considered the religion of the technological elite. But it is hardly a complete philosophy, having no theology or ethical system beyond letting selfishness and capitalism somehow work things out for everyone.
See the future if you really want to talk Transhumanism.
The Right Wing Manosphere
The Right Wing Manosphere is a network of websites, podcasts, and social media accounts that promote a hierarchical, anti-feminist, anti-liberal viewpoint targeted towards young and impressionable teenage men. Some are ideologues, some are canceled minor celebrities that have been scorned by the mainstream media, some are social media celebrities that have discovered the rich monetization opportunities of bootlicking. They are collectively one of the most corrosive influences on the politics and morality of the next generation.
They start with good advice like "clean up your room and get in shape" before leading viewers into a right-wing rabbit hole of conspiracy, misogyny, authoritarianism, and grift.
When researching the videos that are linked to this wiki, certain topics would be almost exclusively populated by manosphere-related videos when you search for them, or a mix of Jordan Peterson and Evangelicals. This was especially the case with subjects like belief systems, the search for meaning, life choices, sex, and a lot of things that impressionable young men seeking an online mentor might search for. Disheartening, to say the least.
The issue is that most secular and progressive people are inherently resistant to any established belief system due to the fact that once you establish one it becomes dogma. And once you have dogma you have hierarchy, resistance to change, and the truth leaves you behind. This is understandable, but it puts them at quite a disadvantage when it comes to appealing to those who are seeking out a belief system and don't really want to have to figure everything out for themselves.
metaculture avoids this issue by putting science and the scientific method at the core of that dogma.
Only when you have a coherent belief system that you can put forth as an alternative to the one being advocated by the manosphere will their influence in modern culture start to wane.
The 4-part series on the history of the manosphere from Jamie Loftus is an entertaining, in-depth dive into its origins, influences, and subcultures. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Scott Galloway is one of the men making a real effort to address the crisis of masculinity without leaning into toxicity and grift. This interview with Sean Illing talks about the issues men face in modern society and what we can do to help. Are Men Okay? Scott Galloway on the Gray Area
The Gray Tribe
Modern techno-libertarianism is increasingly embracing an ostensibly "centrist" political philosophy that is referred to as "The Gray Tribe". Much of this is a reaction to the abundant criticism of modern social media platforms from progressives which threatens their profit centers, combined with socially liberal views that prevent a full embrace of conservatism. Though it is not a well-defined movement, it does describe some of the emergent properties of crypto-bro politics. Since these are some of the wealthiest people in the world and own all of our media platforms, it is useful to understand their goals and motivations.
The Narcissist Economy
Idealistic and intelligent technophiles are easily led astray once the money train rolls in. Regardless of whether the money comes from crypto, a successful IPO, or even just a high-paying tech job, the lure of self-justification through libertarianism has a very strong pull. Audience capture is another common way that podcasts and other content producers find themselves brainwashed by their financial incentives.
"It is difficult for a man to understand something when his salary depends on him not understanding it." -Upton Sinclair
Those who have failed to resist the siren song of monetary addiction mixed with toxic masculinity are herein referred to as Crypto-Bros.
There But For the Grace of God Go I
There are a lot of obvious similarities between the positions taken on the metaculture wiki and those taken by the libertarian technology elites. Had this wiki existed prior to the 2008 financial crisis, it would have been in near total alignment with the views of the Silicon Valley libertarian meets Burning Man techno-optimism that has since morphed into crypto-bro culture. What is the source of these parallels? Where do they diverge? What can we learn about persuasion from our own journeys?
Distributed Network Systems
Once the concept of self-organization takes root in the brain, there is a natural tendency to see distributed systems as superior to hierarchical ones. The fall of the Soviet Union significantly reinforced this thinking, since the planned economy of the Soviets fell short of capitalism by nearly every meterstick. Many young technologists during the Internet boom of the late 90s saw utopian visions of what a fully democratic information environment could bring.
From the success of 90s capitalism, they took the lesson that all forms of planning, regulation, and hierarchy are impediments to efficient, self-organized network systems. Instead of finding ways to streamline the regulatory process, the Overton Window shifted towards their wholesale elimination. Serious business people started to espouse anarcho-capitalistic views. Their ideology succumbed to the Law of the Instrument and Maslow's adage "it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."
If distributed organizations were universally optimal, then we would see corporate decision-making authority move from hierarchical organization charts to democratic networks. Especially the for-profit companies headed by those who extoll the benefits of decentralization! A few forward-thinking companies have attempted to flatten their organizational structures, with mixed results. Most have not, there are very good reasons for this, and they also apply to why we need a government.
Compare distributed systems and hierarchical systems to the brain. Our primitive lizard brain that runs on conditioning and instinct, is like a distributed network. It is very efficient and dexterous, but it has no vision for the future. Hierarchical systems are like the neocortex. It uses information and logic to decide on the best course of action, and override the reflexive decisions of the lizard brain.
Societies and other human systems operate the same way, and require both modes of decision making. Capitalist markets operate like the basal ganglia, while the government performs the function of the neocortex. Both are required for intelligent and responsive decision making in all contexts.
Coming to this understanding represents a move from the Paradigmatic to the Cross-Paradigmatic stages in the cognitive Model of Hierarchical Complexity. It is a natural advancement in generalization and wisdom, but not one that most people ever attain. It is especially difficult if you suffer from the arrested development of high net worth that tends to calcify any beliefs you held at the time of your windfall.
Self-organization is an amazing concept and a powerful tool. When it becomes dogma, it can be just as irrational and destructive as any other.
Non-Partisan
Dissatisfaction with the 2-party system and the desire to develop new political coalitions is another thing that metaculture has in common with the silicon valley political movements like The Gray Tribe. Support for capitalism and opposing government waste and unnecessary red tape are shared values.
Thinking diverges when it comes to the best way to improve the quality of life for the average person. Unsurprisingly, those who have won big at capitalism think that economic grown and technological advancement are the key to improving happiness. Their form of "centrism" is the adoption of right-wing economic policies that benefit elites like themselves, where this wiki advocates an economic populism that unites the working class and middle class.
Techno-Optimism and Futurism
metaculture is extremely optimistic about the future, and hopeful about the possibility for technology and culture to find harmony and improve the quality of life for future humans. It has this in common with the Silicon Valley elite. Where it diverges is in the consideration of the human element. Technology alone cannot solve our problems. Access to information or psychedelics will not cause truth to magically emerge. Extending our longevity makes no sense if people aren't happy. How will people accept transhumanism when they still don't accept every natural human?
Changing the culture means changing the dominant metanarrative, something that scientists, engineers and programmers are not usually good at. All of the life-improving technology in the universe won't make life better if we don't have the mentality to appreciate it. A big part of that mentality is the rejection of hustle culture and embracing a capitalism of slack, where we focus our economic activity on increasing the availability of leisure time instead of the accumulation of money and stuff. This is a significant departure from ethos of the capitalist elite, who are unable to envision a world where profit is not the primary motivating force.
The Crypto-Bro to Bernie-Bro Pipeline
In the wake of Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign, a significant number of his anti-establishment base went on to support the right-wing populism of Donald Trump, even though he supported policies that were diametrically opposed to Sanders' progressivism. This reflects a general dissatisfaction and loss of trust in institutions that leads to contrarianism, and the support of radical change for its own sake, regardless of what form it takes.
How can the flow of this pipeline be reversed?
Changing the conversation from money, economics, and technology, to happiness and the ability for humans to flourish is one thing. Everyone knows that you can't buy me love, so why are we listening to billionaires and trying to do things that make them even richer? Instead, how can we make the quality of life better for the vast majority?
Labor unions are another conversation starter. Since they represent free association within the capitalist market, libertarians should not be opposed to them. Yet, most self-identified libertarians are radically anti-union. This hypocrisy is a good way to demonstrate that the libertarianism is anti-working class, promoted by self-serving wealthy technocrats who hate taxes and regulations but don't want to be associated with religious fundamentalists.
Empathy is important. So much of the crypto-bro ethos is based on a pathological rejection of empathy in favor of Ayn Rand meets Gordon Gekko "greed is the greatest good." The psychological damage that this does to people in service of slightly higher profits is undeniable. Even if, as the Effective Altruists claim, it leads to new technologies being developed sooner and saving millions of future people, the fact that we are all incentivized to be overworked, underpaid, and constantly competitive with one another is a serious drag on happiness.
Ultimately the best thing you can do for a terminally online crypto-bro who has become an Elon Musk stan is to have IRL conversations with them and talk about the dangers of concentrated power, oligarchy, and the impact it has on the happiness of the vast majority of people. Once you have shifted the conversation away from maximizing the economy to maximizing society's happiness, they can start to see how the greater good may not be served by eliminating the only institutions that can balance the power of the oligarchs and force them to obey the will of the people. The government needs major reforms, but a teardown will disarm us against the oligarchs. If you can get to this point you are now having a conversation about how to best eliminate corruption, maximize freedom, and improve quality of life, which is more likely to move the needle than going on an anti-capitalist rant or talking about what a corrupt POS Trump is.