The Age Of Negative Messianism

A world of dark enlightenment.

“We are outside the realm of normality…” (James Hansen). “The window for meaningful change is quickly closing” (United Nations). “It’s warming. It’s us. We’re sure. It’s bad…” (350.org). “We are out of time!” (Adam Mckay). “I want you to panic!” (Greta Thundberg). “1.4 million from 50 countries, believe climate change is the biggest emergency” (Climate Emergency Declaration). “Heaviest rainfall in 130 years.. Nowhere is safe!” (The Guardian). “Impetus for a different world has begun.” (Humanium). “Summer 2024 the hottest ever…” (WEF). “We need apocalyptic optimism to avoid the worst ravages of climate change” (NYT). “Current trajectory of emissions is disastrous.” (Kevin Anderson). “If you knew what I know, you’d be terrified too.” (CNN). “The world will not necessarily behave itself, with this kind of scale (Michael Greer). “Human extinction in 10 years” (Guy Mcpherson). “The science is clear, global warming is for real.” (Arnold Schwarzenegger). “Time is running out to solve the climate crisis and catastrophe looms.” (Scientific American). The list goes on and on…

Our world is going through a very peculiar epoch, marked by dread, uncertainty, rage, fragmentation and confusion, for which there does not seem to be a title as yet. Some call it a ‘planetary entanglement’ while others prefer ‘the great unraveling’ and still others call it a ‘Polycrisis’. Regardless of the definitions, a global awakening and engagement is clearly visible. A renewed rise of imaginaries, made of converging forms and mediums. Books, stories, movies, documentaries, international summits, climate-science panels, discourses and several other artistic forms of expression, all trying to envision the incoming world. The shared characteristic of the above, is that they strive to generate their own actuality and set of outcomes. And many times through sheer brutality, excess, paranoia and stupefaction. Each one is invoking an underlying panic and or the urgency, self-validated always by hopes of redemption. “Negative Messianism” is a term coined by Achille Mbembe, a subset of postcolonial critical theory. Judeo-Christian messianism, that is associated with the coming of new life, redemption, or a great savior, and contrary to that is negative messianism - a reversal of the idea; “it is about survival and the willingness to sacrifice or to be sacrificed”

To be clear, within the above visions and ideas there is little consensus as what constitutes to “reality” and the more prescient question - how to access it? Instead we are confronted with a pot-boiler of scientific discourses, mantras, policies, coupled with outrage, fear mongering, nihilism and general disagreement. Yet, dark imaginations foster all such messianic visions, that amplify and proliferate via electronic media, that are vivid, are animistic, baroque, biblical, grotesque, futuristic, dystopian as well as utopian. In our quest for a better world or past-paradise or mere survival, we have gradually become webbed within an environment of Negative Messianism. One that is stoked ever harder by the paradox of knowledge and of dread, or call it a “dark enlightenment”. Convinced that destruction is inevitable, some are asking “why wait… bring it on!” and on the other side deeply assured by technological hubris, some are harking “Its bad, but we can fix it.”

🐿️ The following story is a narrative about the forfeited nature of redemption and reformism, that is most often not about real salvation but the big “metaphysical underpinning” of these troubled planetary times.

Negative Messianism in all its form and splendor, embodies a global escalation of many not-so-positive outcomes. We know well, the fear and dread that has besieged us in varying ways based on a range of threats. The confronting impact of these threats, be they far or close, real or imaginary, local or global, present or future, natural or man-made, together symbolizes a genuinely frightening situation. We may fear the demise of democracy and liberalism, while someone else sheds real tears over the loss of habitat, ecosystems and Nature. We may be dreading the possibility of nuclear annihilation or rapid decline of human rights. We may wish for rapid depopulation, decarbonization and degrowth, or bemoan the loss of past-paradise and plenitude. But this type of imagination and invocation of the future, fundamentally opens to nothingness and destruction. Why? Suddenly awakened by a cascade of disasters, all be they outside our control, as human beings we most often seek validation of truth in times of trouble. We wish deeply for new ideas that promise future security. Yet the awakening of this consciousness, to what was “improbable” might in fact happen, in most cases pushes us down towards subjective negativity or nihilism. One that is continuously renewed, as politics of pure violence, sacrifice, martyrdom, “techno-millenarianism” or sometimes a near demented paranoia shaped by apocalyptic culture. Crudely thinking, is it all about survivalism?

Within the context, also exists the aspect of ‘revenge’. A set of convictions, based on the Earth in her spiritual revelations (Gaia). One who is out to avenge all the destruction caused by human beings. Based on ancient notion of martyrdom, the urge to escape the incoming apocalypse. A return to Animism, is widely prevalent within ecological and environmental groups and discourses, that demand the “material and spiritual essence” of the Earth be restored to its prior abundance or a state of regeneration. Entire tomes have been written, in the name of Gaia, with the injunction to wipe out human domination and control. The imagination repeating again and again, is about salvation of a few, but only after the sacrifice of many, the survivors restored back to a remarkably idiotic and selfish utopia.

However unlikely the above prospects (in the short term) a set of negative messianic figures manage to convey ever incommensurate or even contradictory revelations to common people. “Reducing industrial activity is the fastest path to human extinction, and therefore the extinction of all life on Earth.” (Guy McPherson). “We cannot go down that path without guaranteeing that we leave youth and coming generations a more desolate planet, with continuing, growing repercussions.” (James Hansen). “The Gaia is a living entity capable of autonomy, will, events and action. Gaia speaks to us through vibrational, molecular, and meteorological registers…” (Amitava Ghosh, The Nutmeg’s Curse). “A world without industrial civilization.” (Deep Green Resistance). “Political polarization and subjectivity that has overtaken media and minds…” (Richard Heinberg). “Man, Frog, and Mosquito. They each give her thanks for nature's bounty” (Earth Mother). Regardless of these far out, Gaia based messianic visions, relentless impoverishment of the Earth has escalated and getting worse. Plus currently there is no stopping the capacity, for velocity, circulation, flight, growth and energy. Millions of emails circulating within various ‘doomspheres’ shared between highly educated folks, alas without any consequence or meaning, but as a free surrogate activity in the name of planetary salvation and climate justice.

Let us get into the brighter aspects of Negative Messianism within Technological Society. Practiced across disciplines, whereby influencing the techno-billionaires, Silicon Valley pundits, politicians, futurists, mainstream media, green energy councils, climate pundits, social reformers, etc, are convinced that the world as we knew it, is coming to an end. And consequently mass mobilization and transition is fundamental, not just as solution but also survival. Polemic solutions that not only reveal our deepest anxieties, fundamentalism and existential threats, but also the entire submission to technology as the eventual redeemer. A world that is already governed by various types of technology and less by human beings. They call it “Global Technology Governance” but for all it actually stands for, is a singular way of thinking, or call it a global presence, that is invested in “higher truth and freedom” attainable via technological systems and networks. The objective success of Negative Messianism is why we find a techno-billionaire like Elon Musk, showing up as a symbol of success, hope and speculation not just on mainstream media, but also across discourses by economists, finance gurus, singularity fans, tech-enthusiasts, futurists, car experts etc.

Many experts are convinced that quantitative data provides a coherent model of the world and that the efficiency of data-driven systems can provide us with the right solutions (transformation). That is a hoax. The sheer volume of information available to us today reveals less than we hoped for. Rather, the super abundance of data points to a “new Dark Age: a world of ever-increasing incomprehension” (James Bridle). Alas in reality, there exists no form of modern technology that does not wield tyranny and or environmental damage. Furthermore, the conviction in technology driven by data, can be understood as an extension of a medieval myth. John’s gospel 8:31-36 - “the truth will set us free”. Free from what, or free to do what was never made objectively clear. Yet the mantra provides much needed determination, to a range of people within modern society. To face future uncertainty while nested within negative messianic visions, or just sign up for it as an obedient soldier. A “good steward” if you prefer.

The determination to fight every threat, be it climate change, pandemics, political and economic turmoil, the renewed will to separate human beings from each other and from Nature remains as is. That determination also is able dehumanize people, to erect walls, to vaccinate, to impose sanctions and inhuman policies, the will to kill in the name of democracy, national security and justice, as opposed to the will to care or collective will to repair a heart-broken planet. The messianic visions of the 1% that influences many people, also disregards all such reality while pimping structurally insolvent insane plans. “The belief that the world is getting worse, that we can’t solve extreme poverty, unemployment and disease, isn’t just mistaken. It’s harmful and utterly negative.” (Bill Gates). “Those who are future-ready will thrive; those who aren’t will struggle or face worse outcomes...” Madeline Ashby, futurist, guidance counselor. “We’re at a turning point where technologies will soon be reshaping everything from how we relate to one another, to work, to entire aspects of everyday life” (WEF Futurism Panel).

The “we” part is never clear nor is the subtext of the actual implications. Yet it is sufficiently clear, that these folks who live with a certain level of prosperity, wish to set aside one part of the world exclusively for themselves, that is clean, functional and intact, while the rest is up for experimentation, acquisition, occupation, extraction, pollution, destruction, hollowing out or just total negation. Institutions like the World Economic Forum symbolize a ‘portend’ for common people across the world. Democracy, human rights and rights of non-humans have no place within the entire specter of current techno-messianism and techno-optimism.

Negative Messianism also thrives within mainstream media, geopolitical analysis, indie news, academic discourses, social media and even within the proliferation of AI based counter-propaganda, cyber terrorism, deep fakes, etc. Within our reach are entire streams of information (verified or not), unverifiable speculation, much of it circulated by algorithmic decisions with zero guidelines. As a result, we no longer understand what is actually happening, around us or in some distant nation. Everything can be calculated, which equates to reason itself. Our opinions are framed and lost, upon a blitzkrieg of images, numbers, words and sounds.

Ever so motivated individuals who are checking out the implications of the zietgiest, or call it a “general loss of objectivity and meaning” are telling us that democracy is in great danger. The above realm is a tremendously strong flux, that we can seldom ignore, one which continuously exercises agency over our view of the world, directing us towards a new and dangerous horizon, with no shared responsibility or plan. “The necessity for this kind of engagement has never been as urgent as it is now.” Achille Mbembe.

Its not hilarious, but as of now hundreds of self-styled analysts and experts sitting at home are broadcasting the prospects of WW3. The new “economy of outrage” and the underlying presence of Negative Messanism gives rise to a hallucinatory power, unknown in our entire history. The logic of unmitigated media escalation attached to fear based propaganda and speculation. Throw dimes and cents at the live host, while you chat online and watch the horrors of imperial genocide and war. Breaking news, exposed information and knowledge that was supposed to enlighten us all, is actually darkening our world. The production of “Hell Breaking Now” is rendered worthless by the very platform it needs, to manifest everyday. Worth the mention, are hundreds of Cli-Fi writers who sell their books and stories on Amazon. The corporation itself symbolic of “gangster capitalism” (Etienne Balibar) - widespread abuse of labor-rights, massive CO2 emissions, anti-trust lawsuits and collaboration with the CIA, FBI and the American Govt. These folks revealing their doom and imagination to us, are basically champions of Negative Messsianism, peddling fear and anxiety yet with hopes to earn a few dollars as well.

Busting a myth can be tough, especially about an eternal faith in democracy or a fixed type of society, but Achille Mbembe outlines the possibility at least, as “Democracy has no future in a factless world or in a world without evidence — that is, accountability. Such a world is by definition hostile to the very ideas of reason and freedom.” I seriously wonder what makes certain people feel ashamed of where they come from, including myself, or who they are and of why they are here. We have become strange hybrid creatures, made of feelings, information, objects, artefacts and the technologies that supplement, shape and augment us.

One might ask in the end, if Positive Messianism is better than the above conditions? Which then opens up the conversation to a range of possibilities, outside what is predicated by paranoid visions and totalitarian plans. One has to drop this “every-man-for-himself way of thinking” and step off the nihilism, practiced by either the rejection of religion, spirituality or a staunch belief in life’s meaninglessness. Negative Messianism by construct, be it technological, scientific, fictional, spiritual or media-based does not eventually lead to any form of liberation.

As a confession, Negative Messianism is a very powerful trap to live within and perhaps forever. No wonder that an entire section of modern society is situated within this “dark enlightenment”. The transformation that many of us yearn for and await could manifest or not. Yet big changes are well in motion, pointing to unforeseen possibilities. A borderless world or garrison states of post-democracy. A society with no police and military. Systems of governance and trade without the economic, racial and political barriers. Worlds operated entirely on biopower and AI. Abolition of private wealth and property. Or stake your own definition, use your own imagination. I just hope, that our memory and intelligence is eventually part of Nature, of the physical world, the ecology of life, beyond our bodies and given technology. Consequently that frame of mind and those worlds, are most often held in check by our predisposition, faith and conditioning, but like it or not, all that is giving way, dying, for new ones to take place. While the sky is still blue, step off Negative Messianism!

👶🏾🍋🦔🧒🏾🐌

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