ANTI-ISM: In the past, there was always a group or a self-appointed genius who sought to take the throne, or an emerging religion that aimed to overthrow its predecessors by declaring them outdated, passé, and “so very last year.” This mechanism still exists within politics, philosophy, and art.
Isms tend to be invasive, even if their fans deny having a binary worldview based on belief, they feel they have a patent on reality and everyone else should kneel to their ideas.
Today, everything is accelerating, the rules are bypassed, and we have so much informational power that it’s absurd to try to encapsulate the fleeting reality flux with a universal dogmatic code that often bypasses common sense and rational empathy.
That’s why here’s a cheat code for -isms: mix your mutant, or drop it and act as a human from moment to moment—but never forget where you want to end up. Here is a relatively non-biased cheat code to the major isms:
Abolitionism
Good thing: Advocates for the immediate end of slavery and human trafficking.
Worst thing: Can be criticized for disregarding the complexities of economic and social systems when calling for an immediate abolition.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to continue as an important moral stance and human rights advocacy.
Absolutism
Good thing: Can bring strong, centralized leadership that provides stability.
Worst thing: Leads to authoritarian rule, the suppression of freedoms, and lack of checks on power.
Death toll: Millions, particularly under absolutist monarchs and dictatorships.
Future: The tech-lords want it in a 2.0.
Anarchism
Good thing: Advocates for self-governance and the abolition of hierarchical structures.
Worst thing: Can lead to chaos, lawlessness, and power vacuums exploited by criminal elements. Anarchy = riot in media newspeak.
Death toll: Associated with violence in revolutionary movements, but no direct death toll.
Future: Likely to continue as a niche political movement, though difficult to implement in large-scale societies without a shift in consciousness; anarchy is more of a utopian ideal now.
Anti-Capitalism
Good thing: Seeks to eliminate economic inequality and exploitation caused by capitalist systems.
Worst thing: Can lead to economic inefficiency and authoritarian regimes when attempted in practice.
Death toll: Millions, particularly in socialist or communist regimes that attempted anti-capitalist policies.
Future: Likely to remain a critique of global capitalism, though it faces significant opposition from the owners and their slaves.
Anti-ism
Best:
Refuses to be boxed in. Question every label, tribe, and ideological shortcut. Values direct experience over dogma. Keeps the mind agile and allergic to groupthink.
Worst:
Risks becoming its rigid identity: proud of believing in nothing except opposing everything. Easy to slide into smug nihilism, endless contrarianism, or lonely detachment.
Death Toll:
Subtle. Kills movements before they start, friendships before they deepen, and ideas before they ripen. Death by chronic distrust.
Future Point:
In an era overloaded with brands and belief systems, Anti-ism could either blossom into a healthy skepticism, or curdle into a cultural autoimmune disease, where every idea is rejected before it’s understood.
Apatheism
Good thing: Advocates for indifference toward religion, focusing on personal wellbeing over ideological conflict.
Worst thing: Can lead to passivity in the face of social injustice or moral challenges.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to grow among secular populations who reject organized religion but are not actively hostile to it. Big among slackers and bored x-activists.
Berlingske-ism
Best:
Steady hand in chaotic times. Values tradition, order, and pragmatic debate. Brings a certain stable grown-up seriousness to a world drowning in noise and trends. Does not hide the power of money. Not shy about sucking up to a winner.
Worst:
Clings to outdated hierarchies and blind spots about privilege. Retro-conservative, Hidden racism and classism. Populistic. Risks becoming a nostalgic museum piece, mistaking inertia for wisdom. A lot of articles is camoflaged PR and ads for lobbyists. Denial of ressesion, insist on the trickle-down effect.
Death Toll:
Cultural: slow death of curiosity, as change is politely delayed until it’s irrelevant. Also: erosion of social mobility masked by polite editorial neutrality. Make me feel I live in a strip joint, everything has a price tag.
Future Point:
Berlingske-ism might pivot into luxury-brand centrism—tasteful, risk-averse, survivalist—or wither as new elites demand fresher myths and less polished manners. Will survives as long as there are lobbyists and PR-dinners.
Berlingskeism
Best:
Steady hand in chaotic times. Values tradition, order, and pragmatic debate. Brings a certain stable grown-up seriousness to a world drowning in noise and trends. Does not hide the power of money. Not shy about sucking up to a winner.
Worst:
Clings to outdated hierarchies and blind spots about privilege. Retro-conservative, Hidden racism and classism. Populistic. Risks becoming a nostalgic museum piece, mistaking inertia for wisdom. A lot of articles is camouflaged PR and ads for lobbyists. Denial of recession, insist on the trickle-down effect. Dark blue, almost black. Provincial mindset.
Death Toll:
Cultural: slow death of curiosity, as change is politely delayed until it’s irrelevant. Also, erosion of social mobility masked by polite editorial neutrality. Make me feel I live in a strip joint, everything has a price tag.
Future Point:
Berlingske-ism might pivot into luxury-brand centrism—tasteful, risk-averse, survivalist—or wither as new elites demand fresher myths and less polished manners. Will survives as long as there are lobbyists and PR dinners.
Buddhism
Good thing: Advocates for inner peace, mindfulness, and compassion.
Worst thing: Can be misused for commercial purposes or lead to detachment from social action. Easy to control, opium for the masses.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Will likely continue to grow, especially in the West, as a source of personal peace and mindfulness.
Capitalism
Good thing: Fosters economic growth, innovation, and individual freedoms.
Worst thing: Leads to income inequality, exploitation of workers, environmental degradation, and mental health issues. The risk of a few owning almost everything.
Death toll: Millions, particularly due to economic inequalities and exploitative labor practices.
Future: Likely to remain dominant, though with increasing calls for reform to address inequality, mental and environmental issues.
Christianity
Good thing: Promotes love, forgiveness, charity, and the pursuit of moral goodness.
Worst thing: Can lead to dogmatism, intolerance, repression, and conflict between different denominations.
Death toll: Millions, especially during religious wars, inquisitions, and persecution of non-believers.
Future: Will continue to be a major global religion, big influence on US politics, though increasingly challenged by secularism in some regions. Still growing in Africa.
Classism
Good thing: None inherently; however, proponents may argue that it reinforces social order and the “natural” structure of society, though this is highly controversial.
Worst thing: Perpetuates inequality, discrimination, and social divisions based on socioeconomic status, leading to limited opportunities for the lower classes.
Death toll: Indirectly contributes to social inequality and poverty, which can result in a lower quality of life and early death, particularly in marginalized communities.
Future: Likely to persist unless societal movements for equality, social justice, and economic reforms address class disparities. Increased awareness may gradually reduce its influence.
Communism
Good thing: Advocates for the abolition of class divisions and the establishment of a classless society.
Worst thing: Has historically led to authoritarian regimes, economic collapse, and massive human rights abuses.
Death toll: Tens of millions, particularly during Stalinist purges, Chinese Great Leap Forward, and other Communist regimes.
Future: Likely to persist as a critique of capitalist systems, though its practical implementations have largely failed and can be seen as “State-capitalism” or dictatorship.
Confucianism
Good thing: Emphasizes social harmony, respect for authority, and personal morality.
Worst thing: Can be used to justify authoritarianism and suppress individual freedoms.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential, particularly in East Asia.
Constructivism
Good thing: Focuses on the idea that knowledge is constructed through social interaction and experience.
Worst thing: Can lead to relativism and an overemphasis on subjective perspectives at the cost of objective truth.
Death toll: None.
Future: Likely to continue influencing education, psychology, and social theory.
Democracy
Good thing: Promotes political equality, freedom, and participation in governance.
Worst thing: Can be inefficient, prone to populism, and susceptible to the influence of money in politics.
Death toll: None directly, though flawed democratic systems have led to unrest and violence.
Future: Will continue to be a dominant political system globally, though facing increasing challenges from authoritarianism and big business.
Determinism
Good thing: Emphasizes that events are caused by prior conditions, promoting scientific understanding of cause and effect.
Worst thing: Can lead to fatalism, where individuals feel powerless to change their circumstances.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential in philosophical debates, particularly around free will and ethics.
Dualism
Good thing: Emphasizes the existence of both physical and spiritual realms, allowing for a broader view of reality.
Worst thing: Can create a sharp divide between body and mind, leading to neglect of holistic understanding. Binary discussions based on belief.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Will remain influential in philosophy and religious thought.
Egalitarianism
Good thing: Advocates for equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for all individuals.
Worst thing: Can overlook merit or individual differences in an effort to achieve equality. One size fits all…not.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain a key principle in human rights and social justice movements.
Environmentalism
Good thing: Advocates for the protection and preservation of the natural environment for future generations.
Worst thing: Can sometimes conflict with economic development or practical solutions to environmental problems.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Will continue to be a major focus of global policy, particularly in response to climate change.
Existentialism
Good thing: Emphasizes individual freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning in life.
Worst thing: Can lead to despair or nihilism if individuals feel overwhelmed by the inherent absurdity of life. Feeling powerless – “the game is rigged” – depression.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to continue influencing philosophy, psychology, and the arts.
Fascism
Good thing: Advocates for strong leadership, national unity, and social order.
Worst thing: Leads to extreme authoritarianism, suppression of dissent, and violent repression of minorities.
Death toll: Tens of millions, particularly during World War II and the Holocaust.
Future: Likely to remain a highly controversial ideology, though sometimes resurging in authoritarian movements. Rebrands and camouflages in many seductive forms.
Feminism
Good thing: Advocates for gender equality, women’s rights, and social justice.
Worst thing: Can be perceived as extreme when it disregards male perspectives or equates all men with oppressors.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to continue evolving and gaining support globally, with intersectional approaches gaining prominence. Never-ending war with incels.
Feudalism
Good thing: Provided a stable social and economic structure in medieval Europe.
Worst thing: Perpetuated class divisions, serfdom, and lack of mobility.
Death toll: Millions due to wars, famines, and exploitation.
Future: Obsolete as a political system but still studied for historical insights. Today we live in a Techno-feudal age – we pay for digital space to exist in and harvest, and are taxed with datamining.
Georgism
Good thing: Advocates for a single tax on land value, promoting fairness, reducing economic inequality, and encouraging efficient land use.
Worst thing: Can be difficult to implement in practice and may face resistance from landowners and those with vested interests in maintaining the current system. Utopic.
Death toll: None directly; however, the unequal distribution of land and resources can contribute to social unrest and poverty.
Future: Could gain traction as economic inequality continues to grow, but its widespread adoption would require significant systemic changes and overcoming political opposition.
Hedonism
Good thing: Promotes the pursuit of personal pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
Worst thing: Can lead to selfishness, indulgence, and neglect of responsibilities.
Death toll: None directly, but lots of addicts and alcoholics suffer.
Future: Likely to remain a part of philosophical discussions about happiness and the meaning of life. The party becomes work – people move on to the next dopamine trigger.
Humanism
Good thing: Emphasizes the importance of human values, dignity, and reason.
Worst thing: Can sometimes be overly secular or dismissive of spiritual or religious beliefs.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to continue shaping discussions in ethics, education, and human rights. Needs rebranding, too cliche.
Individualism
Good thing: Advocates for personal freedom, autonomy, and self-expression.
Worst thing: Can lead to selfishness, disregard for community, and a lack of social responsibility and empathy.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain a key tenet of liberal democracies and capitalist societies.
Islam
Good thing: Promotes peace, charity, and devotion to God.
Worst thing: Can be misinterpreted or used as a tool for authoritarian control, leading to violence and intolerance.
Death toll: Tens of millions, particularly in violent conflicts and persecution.
Future: Likely to remain a dominant global religion with a growing influence, particularly in the Middle East and parts of Asia.
Judaism
Good thing: Emphasizes justice, community, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Worst thing: It can sometimes be exclusive, leading to isolation from other groups.
Death toll: Millions, particularly during the Holocaust and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Future: Will continue to be a major religious force, particularly in Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. Super influential.
Liberalism
Good thing: Promotes individual freedoms, equality, and democratic governance.
Worst thing: Can sometimes overlook economic inequality and social justice concerns in favor of market-driven solutions. Trickle-down effect non-existent, lacks empathy, fosters mental health issues. Offers the most lucrative solutions, not the holistically best solutions.
Death toll: None directly, though liberal regimes have been involved in colonialism and exploitation.
Future: Powerful, likely to continue shaping political and social systems in the West, though facing minor challenges from alternative models, but the market will absorb everything.
Libertarianism
Good thing: Advocates for maximum individual freedom and limited government intervention.
Worst thing: Can lead to neglect of social safety nets and inequalities, particularly in health and education. Mad Max.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential in political discourse, especially in the United States.
Materialism
Good thing: Focuses on the tangible aspects of life and the material world, emphasizing practical outcomes.
Worst thing: Can lead to consumerism, greed, and neglect of spiritual or intellectual pursuits. Mental health issues.
Death toll: None directly, but lots of suicide and shortened life spans.
Future: Likely to persist in capitalist societies, though increasingly criticized in the context of environmental and social concerns – the critique will be absorbed and integrated for even better products.
Metamodernism
Best:
Gives a generation permission to hope again without feeling stupid. Balances skepticism with a hunger for meaning. Makes art, politics, and personal identity more playful, flexible, and self-aware.
Worst:
Turns into a fashionable pose: performative sincerity, weaponized vulnerability, and endless “both-sidesism” where no real stance is ever taken. Risk of emotional exhaustion from constant oscillation.
Death Toll:
Indirect. Leads to paralysis by complexity: fewer revolutions, more depressive scrolling. A slow leak of momentum rather than dramatic explosions.
Future:
Likely to mutate into “hyperfluidism”—where identities, truths, and aesthetics are endlessly mixed, streamed, and recycled at such speed that coherence itself becomes retro. Alternatively, might stabilize into a new pragmatic idealism, if it survives irony fatigue.
Monarchism
Good thing: Can provide stability and continuity through hereditary leadership.
Worst thing: Can lead to oppression, lack of political freedoms, and the entrenchment of inequality. A non-democratic casino of genetics.
Death toll: Varies by regime, with notable cases in historical monarchies.
Future: Likely to remain a niche political system, though some monarchies persist in the Middle East and Europe. A lobby for the old elite, and a tourist attraction seen from the outside.
Mysticism
Good thing: Emphasizes a deep, personal connection with the divine or spiritual world.
Worst thing: Can lead to escapism and neglect of practical concerns.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential in spiritual and philosophical discussions. Growing market for fake mysticism as identity boosters and as antidote to the hollow feelings of capitalism.
New Ageism
Good thing: Emphasizes spiritual exploration, holistic healing, and personal growth, offering people alternative paths to understanding themselves and the world around them.
Worst thing: Can encourage pseudo-science, exploitation of vulnerable individuals, and the appropriation of spiritual practices without cultural sensitivity, often leading to shallow or ungrounded solutions to complex problems. Often fake products, used as drugs by seekers.
Death toll: Indirect; the promotion of unverified healing practices or rejection of conventional medicine can lead to preventable health risks or deaths.
Future: Likely to continue as a subculture, though it may become more critical and self-aware as skepticism grows around its more extreme or unfounded claims. Could inspire science.
Nihilism
Good thing: Encourages individuals to create their own meaning and values in an otherwise meaningless world.
Worst thing: Can lead to despair, apathy, and a lack of motivation to improve the world.
Death toll: None directly, abuse.
Future: Likely to remain a philosophical position, particularly in existential and postmodern thought. Has a bad name.
Nationalism
Good thing: Fosters national pride, unity, and a sense of collective identity.
Worst thing: Can lead to xenophobia, exclusionary practices, and violent conflicts between nations. Retro.
Death toll: Millions, particularly in wars and genocides driven by nationalist ideologies.
Future: Likely to persist, particularly in response to globalization and migration, though increasingly criticized in a globalized world. Big Neo-nationalist retro movement, denying the digitized world run by brands with more money than nations.
Paganism
Good thing: Celebrates nature, the earth, and diverse deities, offering a flexible spiritual path.
Worst thing: Can be misunderstood and marginalized due to its polytheistic nature.
Death toll: None directly, media rumors of human sacrifice.
Future: Likely to persist as a spiritual path for those seeking a connection to the earth and nature-based religions. Big commercial potential as identity booster and fake healer.
Pantheism
Good thing: Sees the divine in all things, promoting respect for nature and the interconnectedness of all life.
Worst thing: Can be seen as overly abstract, making it difficult to engage with in practical terms.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain a niche belief system, particularly among those with environmental or spiritual concerns. Could have a resurgence due to the rise in psychedelic use.
Patriarchy
Good thing: Historically, offered stable family structures and social roles.
Worst thing: Leads to gender inequality, oppression of women, and stifling of personal freedoms. Can foster incels.
Death toll: Millions, particularly due to gender-based violence, oppression, and systemic inequality.
Future: Likely to be challenged increasingly as gender equality movements gain traction.
Politikenism
Best:
Surburban enlightenment at its finest: values empathy, climate action, minority rights, and delayed cultural sophistication. Champions thoughtfulness, bike lanes, sensitivity and the perfect artisanal coffee.
Worst:
Tends toward moral superiority, privileged navel-gazing, and fashionably vague virtue signaling masked as activism. Feels like a lifestyle brand pretending to be a revolution, a diversion for the lost middle class, a fake alternative, always the last to any party, voyeur energy, a dollhouse/religion to keep reality away.
Death Toll:
Mostly psychological: death of nuance through well-meaning echo chambers, and a slow suffocation of radical thought under polite consensus. Isolation from reality. Moral angst and life paralysis.
Future Point:
Politikenism will sink into an elegant irrelevance, preaching to shrinking circles of brunch liberals while the world burns.
Polytheism
Good thing: Offers a variety of gods to worship, providing flexibility in spiritual practice.
Worst thing: Can lead to fragmentation of religious practices and conflicts between different deities or cults.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain important in certain regions and among followers of indigenous religions. The mix-and-match approach fits the new age market.
Postmodernism
Good thing: Challenges traditional narratives and promotes critical thinking, diversity of perspectives, and skepticism of authority.
Worst thing: Can lead to relativism, confusion, and an inability to agree on objective truths or values. Can lead to apathy and celebration of hollow late capitalism. Only producing theories, not new realities. Stalling history, “everything done, everything is a remix”.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential in arts, philosophy, and cultural studies, though increasingly criticized for undermining objective reality.
Pragmatism
Good thing: Advocates for practical solutions and decisions based on real-world consequences rather than abstract principles.
Worst thing: Can lead to a lack of commitment to ideals or ethical consistency in pursuit of immediate results. No long-term investment or vision, ad hoc.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential in philosophy, politics, and policy-making.
Protestantism
Good thing: Emphasizes personal faith, individual relationship with God, and the importance of scripture.
Worst thing: Can lead to division and conflict between different Protestant denominations and other Christian sects. Boring.
Death toll: Tens of millions, especially during religious wars like the Thirty Years’ War.
Future: Likely to remain a major global religion, especially in the Americas and parts of Europe.
Racism
Good thing: None. Easy.
Worst thing: Justifies the mistreatment, segregation, and genocide of people based on race or ethnicity.
Death toll: Hundreds of millions throughout history, particularly in colonialism, slavery, and racial genocide.
Future: Ideally, it will continue to decline, though still prevalent in many regions, with efforts to challenge racism gaining strength. Classism is the new racism.
Religious Fundamentalism
Good thing: Provides a sense of certainty and community for believers.
Worst thing: Leads to dogmatism, intolerance, and violence against those who don’t share the same beliefs.
Death toll: Millions, particularly in wars and acts of terrorism linked to religious extremism.
Future: Likely to persist in areas with strong religious influence, but increasingly challenged by secularization and interfaith dialogue. Lots of hidden liberal fundamentalism.
Satanism
Good thing: Emphasizes individualism and personal empowerment. Encourages free thought and critical thinking. Promotes social justice and religious freedom.
Worst thing: Misunderstanding and stigma. Potential for isolation or extremes in some cases. Attracts unconscious types who want power.
Death toll: Modern Satanism is not linked to any significant death toll or violence, but media rumors of sacrifice persist.
Future: Likely to grow as a secular, countercultural force focused on personal empowerment and anti-dogmatism. Morphs.
Social Darwinism
Good thing: Justifies competition and the idea that the “fittest” will survive and thrive in society.
Worst thing: Used to justify inequality, eugenics, and the exploitation of vulnerable groups.
Death toll: Millions, particularly in the context of eugenics movements and genocide.
Future: Likely to remain largely discredited, but thrives camouflaged in certain conservative ideologies and tech circles.
Singularity
Good thing: Promises rapid technological advancements, potentially leading to solutions for disease, poverty, and environmental challenges.
Worst thing: Could lead to the loss of human autonomy, with AI and machines surpassing human intelligence, creating risks of uncontrollable power.
Death toll: Hypothetical, but the consequences could be catastrophic if not managed properly (e.g., loss of jobs, social instability, or unintended consequences from AI – or AI takeover).
Future: The future remains uncertain; some predict it will revolutionize humanity, while others warn of existential risks if AI becomes uncontrollable or misused. We tend to forget we programmed it….
Socialism
Good thing: Advocates for social equality, the redistribution of wealth, and access to basic services like healthcare and education.
Worst thing: Can lead to authoritarianism, lack of individual freedoms, and inefficiency in economic systems.
Death toll: Tens of millions, especially during the rise of communist regimes in the 20th century (e.g., Soviet Union, China, Cuba).
Future: Likely to continue evolving, with various forms of socialism gaining popularity in many parts of the world, especially in Europe and parts of Latin America. Needs to hit a balance with the liberal instincts without oppression.
Situationism
Good thing: Promotes creativity, spontaneity, and the idea of transforming everyday life through art and culture, encouraging freedom and challenging capitalist norms.
Worst thing: Can be seen as overly idealistic or impractical, with critics arguing that it does not offer a clear solution to systemic issues or provide a sustainable framework for change. Fingerpaint and circus.
Death toll: No direct death toll, but its ideas about disrupting the status quo could potentially cause social upheaval, leading to instability or violence in extreme cases.
Future: May have a niche influence in artistic and activist circles, but its practical implementation in the broader political or social realm seems limited. However, it could inspire further social movements focused on challenging consumer culture. One could argue that everything is a sad tivoli now anyway.
Sociobiology
Good thing: Explains human behavior through the lens of evolution, offering insight into how our biology affects our social behavior.
Worst thing: Can be misused to justify social inequality and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes based on biological determinism. Remove individual will.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to continue influencing the fields of biology, psychology, and anthropology.
Stoicism
Good thing: Encourages resilience, emotional control, and the focus on what can be controlled.
Worst thing: Can lead to emotional suppression and detachment from social causes or personal connections. Lonely, Anti-social. Jordan.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain influential in self-help, philosophy, and wellness circles.
Sufism
Good thing: Emphasizes the mystical and personal relationship with God, promoting peace, love, and spiritual growth.
Worst thing: Can be marginalized or persecuted by more orthodox religious sects.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain a mystical influence within Islam, particularly in parts of the Middle East and South Asia.
Taoism
Good thing: Advocates for balance, harmony with nature, and the pursuit of simplicity and wisdom.
Worst thing: Can sometimes be too passive or fatalistic, discouraging action against injustice. A hippie excuse for lack of direction and responsibility, lazy, pretentious.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to persist as an influential philosophical and spiritual tradition, especially in East Asia, sliding into global neo-new age.
Technocracy
Good thing: Advocates for governance by experts in science and technology, aiming for rational and efficient decision-making.
Worst thing: Can lead to a disconnect from democratic processes and social considerations.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain relevant in discussions about the role of technology in governance and economics.
Totalitarianism
Good thing: Can create a unified, strong state that maintains order and control.
Worst thing: Leads to the suppression of freedom, individual rights, and opposition, often using violence and surveillance.
Death toll: Tens of millions, particularly in regimes like Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and North Korea.
Future: Likely to continue to be a controversial and discredited ideology, though totalitarian movements may resurface via tech-bros and their political puppets.
Trumpism
Best:
Dragged hidden resentments, economic fears, and distrust of elites into the open. Shattered stale political conventions. Gave a voice (and memes) to people who felt invisible. Shameless white trash aesthetics – from a billionaire. Highjacking rebellious rhetoric. Turning reality into fiction into reality, making news exciting, unifying Europe.
Worst:
Normalized lying, bullying, scapegoating, narcissism, and anti-democratic tendencies. Turned public discourse into a rage-fueled reality show/wrestling. Inflamed divisions and glorified ignorance as authenticity. Fucking climate, education and gay rights up. Running USA as his own investment club, not for the people.
Death Toll:
Measured in COVID mishandling, Capitol riots, environmental deregulation, and a general erosion of trust in institutions. Also: deaths of nuance, compromise, and polite conversation.
Future:
Trumpism will linger as an aesthetic and strategy long after Trump himself fades—a blueprint for charismatic strongman populism worldwide, weaponized grievance, bullying and endless culture wars.
Transhumanism
Good thing: Advocates for the use of technology to enhance human capabilities and transcend biological limitations.
Worst thing: Can lead to ethical concerns about inequality, loss of human essence, and unchecked technological power, data mining, and AI takeover. Tends to trust a love machine over man. We talk about chip implants, but have iPhones in our hands constantly all the time.
Death toll: None directly, but casualties from biohacking home projects.
Future: Likely to grow as technology advances, especially in bioengineering and AI.
Utilitarianism
Good thing: Promotes the greatest good for the greatest number, emphasizing happiness and welfare.
Worst thing: Can justify harmful actions or inequality in the name of maximizing overall happiness.
Death toll: None directly, but the philosophy has been linked to justifying harmful policies throughout history.
Future: Likely to remain influential in ethics, particularly in decision-making and public policy.
Wokeism
Good thing: Promotes awareness of social injustices, inequalities, and systemic oppression, encouraging activism for marginalized groups and striving for social progress and inclusion.
Worst thing: Can lead to oversensitivity, cancel culture, and a focus on performative allyship rather than real systemic change, sometimes creating division instead of unity.
Death toll: None directly; however, the polarization it can create might contribute to societal tensions or cultural conflicts, potentially diverting attention from more pressing issues, isolation and loneliness.
Future: Despite heavy critique and morphing into parody, it is likely to remain influential in shaping discourse around social justice and equality, though it may evolve or be moderated as people seek more balanced, nuanced approaches to social change.
Žižekism
Best:
A dazzling cocktail of Marxism, psychoanalysis, and pop culture. Forces you to rethink ideology by turning everything inside out, usually while making you laugh. Reminds us that true radicality often hides in the absurd. Keep you on your toes.
Worst:
Endless detours and intellectual trolling. Heavy on red herrings and provocation, light on solutions. Sometimes hard to tell whether you’re being enlightened or just entertained into confusion. Atract pretentious prats. Hard to ignore the master’s dripping nose. Maybe a distraction from real alternatives.
Death Toll:
Minimal in direct terms—but measurable in time lost trying to decode five-hour lectures about toilets, Hitchcock, and Hegel.
Future Point:
Žižekism may evolve into a permanent style of critical thought: weaponized paradox, memes-as-theory, and high-speed irony loops. Likely to survive as long as there are conferences, cocktails, and contradictions. The Dylan of theory-fandom?
Zoroastrianism
Good thing: Advocates for the fight between good and evil, emphasizing the importance of righteousness, truth, and charity.
Worst thing: Can be marginalized due to its relatively small following and competition with larger religions.
Death toll: None directly.
Future: Likely to remain a minor but historically significant religion, influencing other faiths, particularly in Iran and parts of India.
BY PETER SMITH
To be regularly updated…please feel free to criticize and suggest new -isms.