Or maybe we start reclaiming some terms. I am tired of changing labels because some conservative decided to coopt a cool movement. If tomorrow Musk and his followers declare to be solarpunks are we going to nod and move away from the term?
It’s actually “us” in the political tech space that started using techno optimism as derogatory I think. I don’t know why you think that techno-optimism label was ever a good one and then co-opted :o
Cyberpunk was co-opted by the Californian ideology but “techno-optimism” I don’t think so…
Techno-optimism has always been used to criticize this attitude, together with techno-chauvinism. Techno-utopianism is a less loaded term that might encompass more positive visions of technology, like the attitude towards space exploration in the 60’s coming from the soviet union.
“Optimism” in general is not necessarily the term we want to reclaim from the right: it’s wishy-washy, boring, mediocre. “I’m not going to do much, I’ll be on autopilot, because tech is good and it will sort stuff out. I don’t care too much about taking a position, beyond passively trusting tech”. Optimism is the happy trust of a dog on a leash going for a walk.
Or maybe we start reclaiming some terms. I am tired of changing labels because some conservative decided to coopt a cool movement. If tomorrow Musk and his followers declare to be solarpunks are we going to nod and move away from the term?
It’s actually “us” in the political tech space that started using techno optimism as derogatory I think. I don’t know why you think that techno-optimism label was ever a good one and then co-opted :o
Cyberpunk was co-opted by the Californian ideology but “techno-optimism” I don’t think so…
Techno-optimism has always been used to criticize this attitude, together with techno-chauvinism. Techno-utopianism is a less loaded term that might encompass more positive visions of technology, like the attitude towards space exploration in the 60’s coming from the soviet union.
“Optimism” in general is not necessarily the term we want to reclaim from the right: it’s wishy-washy, boring, mediocre. “I’m not going to do much, I’ll be on autopilot, because tech is good and it will sort stuff out. I don’t care too much about taking a position, beyond passively trusting tech”. Optimism is the happy trust of a dog on a leash going for a walk.
Isn’t optimism the raison d’être of solarpunk? It is a reaction to dystopias and proposes an optimistic view of the future.