this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2024
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Honestly, kurzgesagt is techno optimistic and longtermism and so is that video. That's not solarpunk. But take it from a long but worth it video essay.
I think there is some overlap. Solarpunk is a bit more grounded in simple solutions that are needed now but long term I think we have somewhat similar goals.
Technically, I think solarpunk is both optimistic about technology and concerned with long-term issues, just not to the illogical extreme of some members of those movements.
For me, Longtermism doesn't just mean thinking about long term consequences but it implies not caring about today's problems like climate change and poverty because the needs of the future generations outweigh the needs of our generation. I come from a perspective of "building the new in the shell of the old" and achieving long terms goals that way which is the opposite of Longtermism.
Well that’s kind of what I meant by taking long-term thinking to an illogical extreme. I’m not plugged into that community enough to say whether that is universal or just one voice among many. If that is the predominant view that we need to ignore present or even what most people would consider long-term problems in favor of trillions of future AI souls or whatever then I agree there is a bigger conflict.
I’ve not seen kurzegesagt saying anything like that though. Even in the video criticized above they are discussing the importance of dealing with climate change, albeit in a way that is not sufficiently critical of existing social structures.
Longtermism doesn’t mean long term thinking and techno optimism doesn’t mean not being negative about technology my friend
I understand your point but we have to accept that longtermism and technoptimism are the terms we use for what you call extreme. Like racism is not just “talking about race” and so on :)
We have a term to call ourself and it’s solarpunks!
The core difference between longtermism and solarpunk is that longtermism stems from an utilitarian frame, while solarpunk rejects it. Radical utilitarianism like longtermist fashos and oligarchs gives them a way out to commit the worst crimes against humanity because of a supposed good that will materialize in a distant future. It's a moral free pass, exploiting the life of future humans (who cannot protest) to justify the oppression and exploitation of current humans (who are indeed protesting these assholes).
Solarpunk and longtermism are in no way on the same spectrum.