Techno-Nationalism Pt 1: Tradition & Technology
In this series we explore Techno-Nationalism - an ideology that could underpin the next stage of Western Civilisation.
24 years ago began a new millennium. 976 years from now it will end and the next millennium will begin. None of us who are alive today will make it to the next one, but we can make our mark on the current one. After all, we are early.
This isn’t rhetoric either for we are fortunate (or unfortunate - depending on how you look at it) to be living in a time of seismic technological, economic, cultural, demographic, and political disruption and change. All these civilisational forces are converging to create the perfect storm either for collapse or for a chaotic transition period, the outcome of which will likely be the birth of a new and different civilisation: what I call Western Civilisation 4.0 (if you’ve not seen or read my Western Civilisation 4.0 series, then do check it out first: Part 1 & Part 2).
It is not the purpose of this to rehash what was covered in that series, but rather to put forth a general philosophy or ideology that can guide the next stage of Western civilisation: one that is pro-human, compatible with God, in line with the laws of nature, technologically oriented, and in the end, positive and constructive.
What I will be presenting here isn’t modern political factionalism, but rather something several levels above that - for it impacts not just politics, but culture, the economy, technological development, foreign relations, religion, and more.
To get to the heart of this philosophy or ideology, we will need to answer some questions. These are core questions for our technological age - ones we cannot ignore if we are to forge a sustainable path forward. We ignore them at our own peril, for the consequences of doing so could, in time, be the difference between life and death, survival and extinction.
Let us begin.
Part 1: Tradition & Technology
Question: Can a society be both culturally traditional and technologically advanced?
Author and philosopher GK Chesterton once wrote that ‘Every high civilisation decays by forgetting obvious things.’
When we survey the landscape of Western civilisation today it is obvious to all but the most obtuse, narcissistic, dishonest, or brainwashed, that we have forgotten many obvious things.
These are things like the importance of a) having children to ensure our civilisation lives on, b) holding a preference for one’s kin and countrymen versus for hostile or opportunistic outsiders, c) embodying a general sense of civic duty and responsibility rather than a spoiled sense of entitlement, d) respecting one’s traditions instead of dismissing them as stupid and backward nonsense, e) ostracising and criticising those engaged in degenerate lifestyles, like homosexuals and transexuals, rather than elevating them to the status of demigods, and the list goes on and on.
All these things in addition to being reasonable and common sense (in the true sense of the term), could also be classified as traditional. They are lessons learnt and validated over and over through our individual and collective experience, and they are at some level instinctual too.
For example, our ancestors (and indeed the ancestors of many other civilised non-Western peoples) weren’t being nasty, idiotic bigots when they concluded that Sub-Saharan Africans had a primitive and barbarous nature. Their observation and experience of dealing with Africans over hundreds or thousands of years informed this view. Therefore importing millions of them in today, and forcing them to become doctors, airline pilots, scientists, professors, judges, engineers and more - as we in the West are so intent on doing - is us forgetting obvious things. (And this applies to the other examples mentioned too.)
But how does technology relate to this? Isn’t it ideology that’s to blame here?
Well, in our present case technology and ideology are linked. Wokeism for example, which is the umbrella term for a family of beliefs that virulently oppose tradition, facts, logic, truth, goodness, success, beauty, health, faith, the family, European descended peoples, and Western civilisation in general is only possible in a society with high levels of comfort and security. It is so destructive and decadent, so pure an embodiment of forgetting obvious things, that as a native Westerner you need to be incredibly spoiled (and yes, privileged) to adhere to it.
Most of the world’s population by contrast - be they in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, or Africa don’t have the luxury of subscribing to such warped views of reality. For them, the obvious things remain front and centre; they help them to navigate and survive in their environments. If they were to adopt wokeism it would almost certainly guarantee their death or extinction.
So what of technology then? Well it has played a huge role in creating the comfort and security that has enabled ideologies like wokeism (and also globalism) to thrive. By comfort and security I mean the mass production of every kind of food imaginable - readily available at one’s local supermarket. I mean central heating, running water on demand, light bulbs and home appliances. I mean convenient transport methods like cars, buses, trains, and planes; an infinite array of entertainment on tap 24/7; medicine, antibiotics, and surgery to repair or heal us when we’re ill or injured; cushy jobs for the middle class that involve pushing buttons on a keyboard and/or chatting with people all day (and in some cases doing it from the comfort of one’s own home); and the list goes on and on. The fact is that people in the West today have become insulated from real want and struggle, and they’ve taken this state of affairs for granted - not realising or accepting that it was a different set of beliefs and values that built it, and that it’s continuation (especially with our current set of beliefs and values) is far from guaranteed.
On the surface then, technology appears to have been both a blessing and a curse. Does this mean then that it and tradition are incompatible? To answer this we must search for non woke and non liberal societies that have embraced technology.
Let’s begin with three contemporary ones. Note that we are not interested here in endorsing any one society, but rather in answering the general question of whether tradition and technology are compatible, even if the societies we examine are very different to our own.
Singapore: is a wealthy, technologically advanced country in Asia, with some of the strictest drugs laws in the world. Public displays of affection are discouraged, and laws against public indecency in public are enforced. Same-sex sexual activity between men was illegal up till late 2022, and there is very little in the way of legal recognition for LGBT+ individuals today. There is a strong emphasis on traditional family values. Films and television shows are censored, for example, those that portray LGBT+ themes are either banned or else given higher age ratings to restrict access to them. They are very tough on crime and practice capital punishment. They have strict regulations on the employment of foreign workers and on the foreign ownership of residential properties. The education system takes a conservative approach to curriculum and school discipline. All male citizens are required to undertake mandatory military service. The social welfare system encourages self-reliance and family support rather than dependency on the state. There is a firm insistence on preserving cultural heritage and traditional values.
Now Singapore is not without its problems, the main one being - like all its developed neighbours in Asia, for example, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan - that its fertility rate is low. But in many ways it is a society that’s balanced traditional values with modern technology.
Another example is Saudi Arabia. This is a wealthy Muslim nation with a population of roughly 32 million. They are part of the G20 - the group of nations with the largest economies in the world. Their legal system is based on a strict interpretation of Sharia (or Islamic) Law, which permeates all areas of life and society. Gender segregation is common in public spaces like schools, restaurants, and workplaces. Women are required to wear the abaya (a long cloak) in public, and many cover their hair with a hijab or their faces with a niqab. Men typically wear traditional attire such as a robe. Alcohol is prohibited. Public displays of affection or profanity are prohibited. Films, television and other media are censored to remove content deemed immoral or inappropriate. Homosexuality is illegal and is punishable by death. There is no legal recognition of anything LGBT related. In additional to capital punishment, corporal punishment is also practiced, which can include stoning, flogging, or amputation. The country is ruled by a hereditary monarchy. The employment of foreign workers is strictly regulated and Saudi nationals are prioritised for job opportunities. The financial sector operates mostly under Islamic principles, which includes a prohibition on interest. The education system emphasises religious education. Women’s participation in certain educational fields and sports is restricted.
Overall, Saudi Arabia is a country that places a strong emphasis on religious observance and on adherence to traditional values.
A third example is Poland. It has the 21st largest economy in the world, has a Human Development Index rated as very high, and has a highly educated workforce. In Poland, according to the 2021 census, 71.3% of all citizens identified as Roman Catholic. Abortion is illegal. The only exceptions are in cases of rape or incest or where the mother’s life is at risk. Same sex marriage isn’t legal, and there is no formal recognition of same sex couples. The Catholic Church has a strong influence on Polish society and politics. There is an emphasis on traditional family values, economic nationalism, and social welfare programs that encourage family formation.
All in all, Poland is an example of a European country that has weathered the storm of modernity far better than its counterparts in Western Europe.
So these are examples of three very different countries that have managed to synthesise, to some degree, a more traditional approach to life and society alongside modern technology. This is not to say that these countries are perfect, or that they will forever remain traditional - indeed there are efforts underway to chip away at their traditional frameworks, but these efforts aren’t so much fuelled by technology as they are by ideology (both cultural and economic).
But we need not look only at present societies, we can also look at historical ones too.
The Roman Empire, the Islamic Golden Age, the Chinese Song Dynasty, the Victorian era in Britain, late 19th and early 20th century America, and more were all - relative to other parts of the world at the time, and relative to epochs, nations and civilisations that preceded them - examples of technologically advanced, yet traditional societies.
The Romans constructed a vast road network that connected an empire that at its peak ruled over 50-90 million people across 3 continents. They built aqueducts which supplied fresh water for public baths, irrigation, fountains, and for drinking and general home use. They built sewer systems to remove waste. They developed advanced military technology, surgical instruments and techniques, and monumental architecture. (The Colosseum, for example, like some of today’s largest stadiums, could seat anywhere between 50,000-80,000 people.) Yet despite all this and more, Rome was a traditional society with a hierarchical social structure, a strong emphasis on family, social status, and religious observance.
The Islamic Golden Age too (8th to 13th century AD) saw major advancements in science, mathematics, engineering, and medicine. This included the development of algebra, advancements in trigonometry (which was useful for astronomy and navigation). There was the establishment of hospitals, and the development of surgical reference manuals, instruments, and techniques. There were innovations in irrigation and water management, such as the construction of underground canals and water wheels. Yet, despite all this, and again, much more, this society remained deeply rooted in religious and social traditions.
The Song Dynasty in China spanned from 960 to 1279 AD. During this period the Chinese developed or improved upon gunpowder, the compass, bridges, canal systems, and more. They made advancements in printing which facilitated the mass production of books and documents. They equipped urban centres with hospitals, schools, and recreational facilities. They issued paper money on a wide scale, engaged in domestic and international trade, and developed methods to significantly increase food production. All this against a backdrop of traditional Confucian principles emphasising social harmony, family hierarchy, and respect for elders.
Two more recent historical examples that will be closer to home for the majority of us are the Victorian Era in Britain, and Late 19th / Early 20th century America. These were periods of immense technological innovation and disruption. Significant advancements were made in manufacturing, transportation, communication, energy production, and medicine. Again, despite this, these societies remained very traditional. Victorian society was highly conservative, with strict social hierarchies and moral codes. Gender roles were clearly defined. Religion and traditional customs were integral to social life. Likewise in America, traditional social and gender roles persisted, there was racial segregation, and religion played a key role in everyday life.
The takeaway from these examples is that whilst our present comfort and security (made possible by technology) has allowed destructive ideologies to arise and persist, it is not technology itself that’s to blame, but rather the combination of technology with ideology. Pair technology with woke, liberal, and globalist ideologies and you get what we have today. Pair it with traditional values however and you have something different. Both paths are possible.
Technology, like a knife, can be used for productive purposes - like the knife used to prepare a family meal, or it can be used for destructive ones - like the knife used to genitally mutilate a child.
In short then, technology as a concept is neutral. It is only when it is developed toward a particular end that it loses its neutrality.
Now some may argue that this is not so, and that technology is intrinsically anti-tradition, or anti-nature, or anti-god. To some extent I understand where they’re coming from, because they’ve grown up in a liberal society, where technology has been and is being developed to serve liberal, consumeristic, and now, woke ends. This is all they’ve ever known, so they naturally come to see technology as being indivisible from liberalism and co, and believe that to be truly anti-liberal, they must also be anti-technology. But thinking in this way is a failure of logic. Even more than that it is a failure of the imagination - and a bad strategy too. We are handing our enemies a free and unearned victory when we claim or believe that technological advancement is only possible within their ideological framework and system. This is, plainly speaking, a fallacy - as the examples we’ve covered illustrate.
Technology also cannot be anti-nature. It exists within nature. It is possible because of the laws and properties of our universe. We are not breaking any physical laws when we develop technology, but merely adhering to them.
Does this mean that genetically engineering a half-human half-rat is ok then? After all since it’s possible (or may be possible in the future), then what’s the problem with it? Why shouldn’t we do it? Well, this is where we enter the moral realm, because good and evil are also a part of our universe, and these forces manifest themselves in many different contexts - be they technological or otherwise. So, yes, technology can be used for evil, but so can anything else. You can use the most primitive objects like a stone, or a fire, or a spear, or a wild animal, and the list goes on and on, to pursue evil or morally questionable ends. So it’s not an issue with technology specifically, but rather with humans themselves. Get rid of all technology, and evil will remain.
Finally, if you’ve ever striven to learn about the laws and properties of our universe, or DNA, or the Earth’s ecosystem, and more, then you cannot help but notice that our creator is an avid mathematician, scientist, and engineer. Would our creator really wish for us to turn our back on fields he himself is so adept at? Are we not made in his image?
If we pursue technological development then - from a moral perspective - i.e. if we reject developing human-rat hybrids, or making humans redundant through AI and robots, or brainwashing kids to cut their genitals off via apps on their smartphones, then we cannot be at odds with his vision or plan (and may very well be fulfilling it).
Serving one’s creator doesn’t have to mean living like the Amish. If you want that, then go ahead. It’s fine. It’s a healthy and noble life. But there are other paths too. We can embrace technology. We can do great things with it. We have done great things with it. Tradition, nature, God, and technology are compatible. Accepting this is pivotal for developing a compelling vision for the future: a credible alternative to the dark and destructive vision being pursued by the globalists, the woke, and the anti-human techno-utopians.
But before we explore what this alternative could be, we will need to answer some more questions. The next one will be: What are examples of good and bad technologies? We will answer this in part 2.
Written by Arcadius Strauss.
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