Pill Pod 175 - The Straussian Plot Against America
Added 2024-07-12 15:16:23 +0000 UTCConspiracy theory or actual conspiracy? Today we investigate how a small cabal of nihilist philosophers managed to take over America and caused the invasion of Iraq based on the writings of eminent political philosopher Leo Strauss.
Comments
I wonder how much right-baiting theory is in response to Schopenhauer's Will. They're lamenting the death of conservatism but it looks like Straussians may have been the ones to turn it against the institutions it was supposed to be conserving. If they want to establish an elite at the height of power all they have to do is dismantle neoliberalism first
Alex B
2024-07-22 12:32:46 +0000 UTCIn my experience of being in grad skool, in academia, there was also what I can see now as a Straussian element on the radical left hermeneutics: Derridean-Nietzschean-Heideggereans …a cult of personality/ aristocratic entourage surrounding professors who taught you basically how to read and write in the ‘code’ … a very seductive and exclusive group to be in. It’s def not just neo-cons, who have a vested interest in encoding their meaning among an elite. Even those who do not believe in ‘Truth,’ are wary of the masses and the polity…and their intellectual ‘practice’ seems very much on par with Strauss. It seems to me the ‘esoteric’ aspect with Straussians always has a specific political theory and aim behind it, and whether a left or right position, agrees on a necessary elite above the ‘masses’ to stop the potential of a ‘tyrant.’ Probably having very much in mind a Hitler tyrant… and maybe why there’s so many Straussian Jews? Maybe not just neocon but Zionist as well? Straussianism easily is a justification of programs like MKUltra … if we b talkin’ conspiracy. n’est ce pas? Because a secret society of guardians of the truth justifies mind control techniques and brain washing. However, I’ve always been one who strives to be clear and unintelligible at the same time. I am not sure why. Maybe it is just my style. In any case, it is not for the sake of the ‘in crowd-club’ or to protect my great meaning… that can only be disclosed in its withdrawal… though I think the later is legit in relation to thinking/language. (MH)…. But: 1. inheritance of a certain kind of formalist hermeticism from modernist poets to allow language itself to ring with its references, citations, associations 2. the legit need to hide ideas not acceptable to the status quo ( which is a ruling class status quo, more than ‘the mass’), to protect oneself and yet circulate one’s writing and ideas publicly, 3. Like Lacan ( and D and G) opening speech and writing to the unconscious and multiplicity of signification. 4. & the problem of ‘explanation, explaining’… art or ideas… at some point one has to presume the reader or listener do some work too. If its too digestible, pablum… its not really ‘food for thought. ‘ But I would not identify any of those reasons connected to an ‘obscure’ style with Strauss or Straussianism. A big difference in re: to a justification of my own obscurity, if it is that, and not just a defect in my style, is that it presumes a democratization (like W. Benjamin/ Brecht as model perhaps)… I think anyone potentially can read and think broadly and deeply if they so desire (Nerds) . Not auto-didactically, def with teachers etc. But it doesn’t have to involve a ‘classical’ classicist elitism. But again, the ‘Straussian’ appears to be the specific political agenda of deterring a tyrant/tyranny, which they associate as arising out of the common mass, and that this agenda requires an elite class of classically trained intellectuals controlling the strings of politics. (the neo lib version = puppet/corpse Biden? ) good point btw… ‘how r u really supposed to identify a philosopher?’ and so good on Nietzsche’s recognition that Philosophy is Nerd’s ressentiment against Jocks. hahah. and as to ur convincing theory of the male 20 year old… applied to Mr. Crooks, the depressed incelish shooter at Trump…Does a gun change a nerd into a jock? Seems incontestable that Trump is the Jock to the loser Nerd. Maybe that is the analogy… is it a real conspiracy or nerd fantasy of their having power & manipulating the strings, only a conspiracy theory? How influential is influence actually? If the Jocks r always the winners in power and money no matter what… is it just resentful compensation to believe you have Iago style influenced them? haha. good podcast.
Zachary Manenti
2024-07-19 19:58:37 +0000 UTCI think one thing missed in the discussion is that the neo-cons actually made their plans quite explicit and published them in a document called The Project for a New American Century. Doesn't seem very Straussian to let everyone know what your plans are in advance.
Joe Rigney
2024-07-16 20:08:53 +0000 UTCGonna give my Substack to pills like a mixtape
Eli
2024-07-16 11:28:29 +0000 UTCA drink for every time Pills says nerd!
Timothy Kenner
2024-07-15 01:42:56 +0000 UTCIt does seem to me that Straussian is an ideology that is acceptable to power and so people with that ideology got into power. Going back to the episode on Dark Academia I remember someone remarked it was like straussianism for girls, but I do think working class people would look at philosophers like Kant or Spinoza as esoteric in a sense that can be played with. There is actually a way of reading those texts that working people don’t know, isn’t there?
Jack
2024-07-13 19:54:53 +0000 UTCI like to come up with funny 9/11 conspiracy theories. Such as, “the planes were gonna be holograms but they couldn’t get the tech to work so they used real planes” “the planes were remotely hijacked by aliens and then they couldn’t figure out how to fly them and crashed” “the autopilot decided to take revenge” Of course Straussians are at fault here ultimately.
Ashley H
2024-07-13 03:49:34 +0000 UTC
