The New New Thing

One of the key myths of the western world is that linear history is constantly unfolding toward utopia, e.g. The New Atlantis or the New Jerusalem. There's a corresponding set of new things all the time and constant "innovation" of the scientific and social varieties.

The experts of technology are certain that their new things are significantly better than everything that came before. The EV for example is "revolutionary". It will replace all the ICE vehicles. It doesn't matter that the batteries kind of suck and aren't up to the job and make no sense in certain use cases, the linear history aficionados assume they will certainly be better if enough resources and big brains are thrown at solving their problems.

The experts of "social" things are sure that gender is passe. In the New Atlantis you could be a girl one day and a boy the next or vice versa. You can make up your "gender identity". It's very new and cutting edge to make up a gender, pronouns, and a corresponding hair color.

The perpetual "revolution" must fight against anyone who would hold them back or even question them, which is pretty interesting. It maneuvers for the tyrants privilege of avoiding competition. It makes claims to all resources. That is, rather than proving that a new technology or way of life is better than what came before it merely asserts it's better. Everyone must comply with the idea or face sanctions and taxes.

Vat meat, for example, will enjoy protected monopoly status, and conventional farmers will face taxation like in New Zealand where taxes will be leveled on animals. EVs will get tax credits and subsidies from the fossil fuel industry.

Ironically the perpetual revolution for "human freedom" will involve a rigid totalitarian system. "Freedom" means something very specific in this case. If you're in the "revolution club" you will be somewhat "free", but everyone else will be squeezed to pay for your stupid projects. In fact, the revolution club wants to make it possible to escape paying by using electronic money and totalitarian control of every aspect of life. If it isn't part of the revolution it will be censured.

All this happened before, of course in Russia and China and France for example. A new totalitarian order was built on the ashes of the old and a giant stack of bodies... and the new order totally sucked and failed.

If the new, new ideas and schemes had to compete on their own merits, it might not be so bad. Innovation itself is not inherently bad, of course, but most new things really don't stand the test of time. New inventions come and go on a daily basis in every field. How many kitchen gadgets become a mainstream tool for example? There's dozens issued in a year, but hardly any become the next spoon or fork.