Excellent quote. Definitely need to learn more about the author.
I rewatched the film recently because, "it's been at least a decade and it's Fincher."
I couldn't believe how different my take was watching several times near release (99', at about 20), and now in my late 40's. This movie spoke so profoundly to men of my age, the movie version of Nevermind or Downward Spiral. I think there was a deep dissatisfaction in my generation with a range of topics, materialism, corporatism, etc. What I think was missing from the discourse was a sense of responsibility, "Great. You're dissatisfied. So what are you going to do about it?"
Durden felt like some kind of role model at the time. Watching it this last time was a completely different experience. Durden, or the main character depending on your point of view, seemed like a madman. Sure the critiques still resonate, but the prescription?
"In the world I see - you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway."
I couldn't believe how I missed the Apocalypse Now parallels before. Durden's literally talking off-screen to a dazed 'main character' about his vision. Kurtz and Durden are perfect parallels, critique without answer, a certain logic followed to the point of the illogical.
Since those early watching's near release and now, I finally found a career that I find rewarding in healthcare. The money's fine, the real treasure is in the feeling of making a difference, helping people because "it's the right thing to do," and it makes me feel good.
What I would say to my past self, or young men like you referenced with Fukuyama's quote, is "there are other struggles." You can struggle for justice, struggle to provide resources to those without, struggle reveal that which we do not know or haven't explored. Tearing things down for the sake of it does nothing besides fulfill a selfish desire to feel righteous among the ashes.
Thanks for the perspective from someone older than me. I also used to be a lot more revolutionary, even if my heart was in the right place and my causes were just: equality, safety, self-expression.
But I'm now in my 30s, and with more and more people supporting different versions of radical "progress" -be it AI, communist revolution, fascist takeover, whatever else- in the name of a promised utopia, I think Fukuyama was proven completely right.
I have decided that the problem is inside, and there is no solution, only treatment. I find meaning in community and art, and sometimes that's not enough, but those times pass.
I still want equality, safety, justice, self-expression, access to opportunity for everyone. But I've come to believe that any kind of major systemic upending will result in suffering, corruption, and, at the end, someone being oppressed. Democracy, education, and strong communities provide a slow path to progress, but it is the fastest path available.
I don’t think you’re exactly wrong but honestly, that take itself feels somewhat or extremely privileged. There are people in the world today who are starving to death, homeless, enslaved, or for whom anxiety about those things is realistic.
The Russian, French, and Chinese Revolutions happened in part because people were actually starving to death while being worked through at times unfree labor into the ground by others at the same time; it wasn’t because they had nothing better to do. Many in the world are in horrific conditions. That doesn’t mean we should embrace “fixes” that also bring tragedy if it could be avoided, but there are still actual issues.
The difference is, these people aren't revolting against democratic systems with relatively stable economies and social safety nets.
Of course, neither are a lot of the fascists now, but their progenitors were. And I'd argue the whole conceited effort to weaken democracy that started in the US during Nixon's presidency, has been this kind of revolt against liberalism.
Edit to add: In general if you look deep enough in history, the people don't overthrow the rulers on their own. As long as the ruler has control of the army, and the will to use it, any revolution can be suppressed. The army must join the movement or stand down.
So more often than not it's either a ruler who doesn't have the willpower to violently suppress, or a ruler who lost his court, and by extension his army.
So this is a very complicated topic, but I do think the exact anatomy of a revolution from “left” can differ substantially in many aspects with one from the “right.” While both require the participation of elements of force such as the military and powerful figures fascism can metastasize within extant institutional structures more easily while a “socialist” revolution generally seeks more substantial disruption to the status quo although it seeks allies with expertise, force, authority, etc.
Regardless, this genuine movement from the left has tended to spring from a much more dire situation where people feel they have no other choice and therefore in some cases accept a price paid in blood.
Fascism is complex and controversial to expound upon but conventional wisdom has been it’s more related to anxiety regarding loss of status etc. from those who regard themselves as traditionally, currently, or once having had some vs. people who view themselves as having always been oppressed and exploited (“the proletariat”).
I agree that America certainly is not at the “millions of people starving in the streets without even a pretense of rights or democracy” stage, though. I hope we don’t get there.
90
u/Dakdied 23d ago
Excellent quote. Definitely need to learn more about the author.
I rewatched the film recently because, "it's been at least a decade and it's Fincher."
I couldn't believe how different my take was watching several times near release (99', at about 20), and now in my late 40's. This movie spoke so profoundly to men of my age, the movie version of Nevermind or Downward Spiral. I think there was a deep dissatisfaction in my generation with a range of topics, materialism, corporatism, etc. What I think was missing from the discourse was a sense of responsibility, "Great. You're dissatisfied. So what are you going to do about it?"
Durden felt like some kind of role model at the time. Watching it this last time was a completely different experience. Durden, or the main character depending on your point of view, seemed like a madman. Sure the critiques still resonate, but the prescription?
I couldn't believe how I missed the Apocalypse Now parallels before. Durden's literally talking off-screen to a dazed 'main character' about his vision. Kurtz and Durden are perfect parallels, critique without answer, a certain logic followed to the point of the illogical.
Since those early watching's near release and now, I finally found a career that I find rewarding in healthcare. The money's fine, the real treasure is in the feeling of making a difference, helping people because "it's the right thing to do," and it makes me feel good.
What I would say to my past self, or young men like you referenced with Fukuyama's quote, is "there are other struggles." You can struggle for justice, struggle to provide resources to those without, struggle reveal that which we do not know or haven't explored. Tearing things down for the sake of it does nothing besides fulfill a selfish desire to feel righteous among the ashes.