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Doug Bates's avatar

Alexander the Great could not have implemented Zeno's vision. Zeno is a full generation after Alexander.

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Ben Koan's avatar

I was paraphrasing Plutarch: "Zeno wrote, giving shape to a dream or, as it were, shadowy picture of a well-ordered and philosophic commonwealth; but it was Alexander who gave effect to the idea." So we could say that Alexander implemented a philosophic vision that Zeno later articulated. I've made a small edit to that effect.

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Usually Wash's avatar

Richard Hanania is the face of "based globalism". He is not a big fan of nationalism in general but loves America, Israel, Singapore, etc.

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Ben Koan's avatar

Hanania is an interesting case. He tends to associate nationalism with its worst elements, probably because of his own history as a white nationalist. For example, he's written that "when an intellectual or politician calls himself a nationalist today it generally indicates that he takes a parochial and overly pessimistic view of intergroup relations and favors policies that if adopted would make most people worse off." But to your point, if you admire America, Israel, Singapore, or other successful countries, you must acknowledge the nationalism that built them. (Call it patriotism if it makes you feel better, but I don't find the distinction very meaningful.) Elite Human Capital does not exist free-floating in space; it flourishes where there is a well-functioning society, which requires trust and cohesion, which in turn is dependent on a common, usually national identity.

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Usually Wash's avatar

Hanania is certainly not anti Zionist or anti the US founding fathers or anti LKY. I would call him a pro Zionist non Zionist. He’s kind of like the Haredim in that sense. Or like the “Non Zionism” dude on Substack, who is Haredi.

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Ben Koan's avatar

Yeah, NonZionism is objectively Zionist, but rejects the label to distance himself from Kahanists, bad hasbara, and arsim.

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Eugine Nier's avatar

Unfortunately Hanania is also a transhumanist technocrat and frequently exhibits some of the worst aspects of both.

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Dmitrii Zelenskii's avatar

I am not sure that the description of medieval Muslims is sufficiently universal. Islamic Golden Age happened, and it were Muslims who preserved many Greek works.

Nonetheless, the broader point is appreciated!

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Ben Koan's avatar

That's true, though see https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/why-the-arabic-world-turned-away-from-science for a long read on why the Islamic Golden Age gave way to decline. In the West, "The rise of modern science is the result of the development of a civilizationally based culture that was uniquely humanistic in the sense that it tolerated, indeed, protected and promoted those heretical and innovative ideas that ran counter to accepted religious and theological teaching." By contrast, "Islam lags because it failed to offer a way to institutionalize free inquiry. That, in turn, is attributable to its failure to reconcile faith and reason."

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