Mastodawn

From a recent discussion: what is a "big project"?

A big project is a kind of cause and effect of the state. Why do you need a state? For big projects. Why do you need big projects? To support a state.

Big projects are not things like "science", "agriculture", or knowledge about them. Those are done by networks. Big projects are things like massive tombs, army corps organizations, jet fighter models, nuclear weapons, state law books etc. They are organizational or engineering.

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Rich Puchalsky ⩜⃝Oct 21

"Big projects" are one of the historical disputes between state socialists and libertarian socialists (anarchists, pretty much). Engels sneered about how did the anarchists think people were going to organize and run a modern factory without discipline and hierarchy? Basically, state socialists think that the big projects are what civilization is about.

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Reminds me of that one scifi story when the Military Royal Empire of Space Nazis landed on a planet that had been isolated from the Military Royal Empire of Space Nazis for centuries, to ensure the inhabitants were obedient and loyal to the Military Royal etc etc.

And there weren't any big buildings, no giant factories, no state capitols, no fortresses, just a bunch of people with various simple machines and tricks to improve their lives. And of course if you needed anything, they were happy to show you how things worked around here, and maybe even set you up with a nice girl.

So anyway by the end of the story the Empire's spaceship was falling apart because everyone running it and all the soldiers were basically ditching them and booking it, and it barely managed to take off with the officers aboard. The planet was labeled "neutral ally: do not make contact."

Wish I knew the name of it... or the author.