Bonus Sample: Manners, the Machine, and Malaparte’s Technique de Coup d’État - Conspirituality

Summary

Conspirituality Podcast Episode Summary: "Manners, the Machine, and Malaparte’s Technique de Coup d’État"

Release Date: February 24, 2025

Hosts: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker

Introduction and Context

In the bonus episode titled "Manners, the Machine, and Malaparte’s Technique de Coup d’État," the hosts of Conspirituality—Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker—delve into the intricate dynamics between contemporary fascism and technological influence. This episode dissects how modern authoritarian movements intertwine ideological fervor with technological prowess, creating a potent blend that threatens democratic institutions and public discourse.

Case Study: Marco Elles and Elon Musk’s Influence [00:03 - 02:30]

The episode opens with an exploration of the controversial figure Marco Elles, a 25-year-old known as the "Doge Bro." Elles faced resignation following revelations by The Washington Post about his connections to far-right online communities and his dissemination of racist content. This incident serves as a springboard to examine the role of influential tech leaders in shaping public opinion and political outcomes.

Matthew Remski poses a critical question: "Did you notice what Musk did?" referring to Elon Musk's response to the uproar surrounding Elles' resignation. Instead of taking a clear stance against the backlash, Musk opted to engage his audience through a poll on his platform regarding Elles' reinstatement. This move sparked significant debate, with prominent figures like JD Vance advocating against "ruining young men's lives," thereby fueling discussions around cancel culture and white victimhood.

Remski highlights the impact of Musk's actions: "Of 400,000 responses to Musk's Totally Scientific X poll, 80% said that he should be rehired." This overwhelming support underscores the influence tech moguls wield in shaping narratives and public sentiment, often blurring the lines between personal beliefs and corporate responsibilities.

The Dual Prongs of Emergent Fascism: Manners and Machine [02:31 - 04:58]

The hosts introduce the central thesis of the episode: the concept of "Manners and Machine" as two foundational pillars of emergent fascism. This framework draws inspiration from a century-old thesis by an original fascist thinker, Malaparte, emphasizing that totalitarian regimes thrive when both ideological allure and technological control converge.

1. Manners of Fascism: Ideological and Aesthetic Dimensions

Drawing from Robert Paxton's seminal work, Anatomy of Fascism, Remski articulates:

"Fascism is a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood, and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity." [03:15]

This definition encapsulates the core emotional and psychological manipulations employed by fascist movements. The hosts enumerate various manifestations, including:

Bigotry and Racism: Embracing theories like the Great Replacement and promoting white pronatalism.
Conspiracy Theories: Utilizing narratives that scapegoat minority groups, fueling antisemitism as a means to divert societal frustrations.
Cultural Fetishes: Supporting movements like the tradwife phenomenon and raw milk advocacy, which often mask deeper ideological agendas.
Anti-QUIER/TRANSGENDER Sentiments: Propagating hatred and exclusion towards LGBTQ+ communities.

The aesthetic component is equally significant, with Paxton noting that each fascist iteration boasts a unique visual identity. The hosts compare historical movements, from the Nazis to the Italians and Vichy France, to modern equivalents like the eclectic style of MAGA supporters. They observe:

"We can detect a coherent Americana vibe in the mishmash of red hats, cargo shorts, ill-tailored suits, normie haircuts. But most of all, I think how elite MAGA women have to conform to Texas beauty pageant standards." [04:30]

This blend of traditional and contemporary styles serves to normalize extremist ideologies within mainstream culture.

2. Machine of Fascism: Technocratic and Authoritarian Control

The "Machine" refers to the technological and administrative mechanisms that facilitate authoritarian control. In the digital age, this involves leveraging social media platforms, data analytics, and algorithmic manipulation to spread propaganda, monitor dissent, and orchestrate coordinated disinformation campaigns.

Remski discusses Elon Musk's role as a technocrat, questioning:

"Is he a Nazi or a hacker? Or is he a Nazi hacker?" [03:50]

This rhetorical question underscores the complex interplay between technological expertise and ideological extremism. The hosts argue that control over digital platforms enables fascist movements to amplify their messages, recruit followers, and undermine democratic institutions subtly yet effectively.

Integrating Historical Perspectives: Paxton's Definition

Robert Paxton's analysis provides a foundational understanding of fascist behaviors, emphasizing their adaptability and resilience. By obsessively focusing on perceived societal declines and fostering a sense of communal purity, fascist groups can maintain a loyal base even amidst evolving political landscapes.

Contemporary Manifestations: Examples and Comparisons

The episode meticulously draws parallels between historical fascist movements and contemporary digital authoritarianism. The hosts highlight how modern fascism adapts to current technological advancements, making it more pervasive and harder to counter. The case of Marco Elles and Musk serves as a microcosm of this broader trend, illustrating how digital platforms can be exploited to advance extremist agendas under the guise of free speech and technological progress.

Conclusion and Insights

"Manners, the Machine, and Malaparte’s Technique de Coup d’État" offers a profound examination of the symbiotic relationship between ideological fervor and technological control in the rise of modern fascism. By dissecting real-world examples and historical frameworks, the episode provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of how contemporary authoritarian movements leverage both societal prejudices and technological tools to entrench their power.

The hosts conclude by emphasizing the importance of awareness and critical discourse in combating the insidious spread of fascist ideologies. They advocate for responsible use of technology and vigilance against the co-opting of spiritual and wellness movements by extremist groups, aligning with the podcast's mission to dismantle conspirituality and safeguard public discourse.

Notable Quotes:

"Fascism is a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood, and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity." – Robert Paxton, as cited by Remski [03:15]
"We can detect a coherent Americana vibe in the mishmash of red hats, cargo shorts, ill-tailored suits, normie haircuts. But most of all, I think how elite MAGA women have to conform to Texas beauty pageant standards." – Remski [04:30]
"Is he a Nazi or a hacker? Or is he a Nazi hacker?" – Remski [03:50]

For Further Listening:

To access the full episode and additional content, visit patreon.com/conspirituality. Subscribers can enjoy ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus content, and behind-the-scenes discussions that delve deeper into the topics explored in this episode.

Transcript

A (0:03)

Hello everyone. Welcome to Conspirituality, where we investigate the intersection of conspiracy theories and spiritual influence to uncover cults, pseudoscience and authoritarian extremism. Or in other words, your daily News feed. I'm Matthew Remsky. We are on Instagram and threads at conspiritualitypod and you can access all of our episodes ad free, plus our Monday bonus episodes on Patreon or just our bonus episodes via Apple subscriptions. So this is a Patreon bonus episode. It's called Manners the Machine and Malaparte's Technique de Coup d'etat I'm sure at this point you've heard of Marco Elles, the 25 year old Doge Bro who resigned after the Washington Post revealed his connections to far right Internet holes and his disgusting racist shitposts. Now here's a question for you. Did you notice what Musk did? In response to the hue and cry? Alongside threatening the journalists who named Eles and other staffers, Musk posted a poll on the platform he owns about whether the kid should be hired back on. And right on cue, vice bro JD Vance chimed in with the argument of of course we should not be ruining young men's lives now. Subsequently, many feeds instantly seemed to pivot to debates about cancellation and white victimhood, all while the Technofas coup proceeded. Now, a similar thing happened a week before when Musk tied up attention for days by giving a Nazi salute at an inauguration event. Did you see that? How could he? But wait, did he or didn't he? Was he trolling? Was it ironic? Why, oh why isn't he explaining himself? Whatever could this mean? Is this who we are as a nation? Have we fallen so far? So some folks end up arguing about just how shiny Musk's jackboots are as he marches into the treasury with a duffel bag full of hard drives, laughing. And by the way, of 400,000 responses to Musk's Totally Scientific X poll, 80% said that he should be rehired. And so Vox Papuli, Vox dei, the bright young engineer with the naughty online footprint, has been re employed. Now what do we worry more about? The far right trolling or the coding skills of the trolls? This split focus and these bait and switch moments. Is he a Nazi or a hacker? Or is he a Nazi hacker? It all highlights two prongs of emergent fascism. On one side we have the ideological, aesthetic, psychological, and on the other side we have the technocratic. I'm going to call these the Manners and the Machine. And later, I'm going to unpack a century old thesis by an OG fascist that says totalitarian regimes take shape when both are working together, but that ultimately the the coup d'etat is about seizing control of the machine. So manners and machine. What are the manners of fascism? We know them. We feel them. That first line from Robert Paxton's definition in Anatomy of Fascism that I've been quoting for the last couple of weeks rings really true here. He says, fascism is a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood, and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity. So we know and feel this. We understand the bigotry, the racism, the great replacement theory, the gender essentialism and white pronatalism. We know the white victimhood. We know about the tradwife fetish, the raw milk guzzlers. We know all about panics around children and all the hatred for queer and trans people. We know the power of conspiracy theories. And we know that antisemitism is the socialism of fools wielded by demagogues who need scapegoats and accepted by working class folks immiserated by capitalism who need someone else to be humiliated instead of them. Manners also means that fascism has an aesthetic, and Paxton points this out and says that it's unique to each fascist iteration. You don't have to have Lenny Riefenstahl on your payroll to be properly fash. The Nazis were not the Italians, the Italians were not Vichy, and none of them really predicted the eclecticism of Trump. I mean, we can detect a coherent Americana vibe in the mishmash of red hats, cargo shorts, ill tailored suits, normie haircuts. But most of all, I think how elite MAGA women have to conform to Texas beauty pageant standards.