DOOMER OPTIMISTS GATHER IN WYOMING HIDEAWAY, PLOT THE NEW FRONTIER AMIDST FEARS OF A COLLAPSING SOCIETY
Deep in the heart of Wyoming, in the quaint, one-street town of Story, The Wagon Box Inn buzzes with discussions of apocalypse, transformation, and rebirth. It's home to an annual retreat known as "The Machine and (Human) Nature," a heterodox gathering for a group of thinkers who've boldly defined themselves as "Doomer Optimists." Away from the bustling cities and the trappings of modern life, attendees gather to dissect the state of the world and predict the end of industrial modernity, liberalism, and potentially even global empires.
Despite the seemingly pessimistic outlook, there's a silver lining. These Doomer Optimists envision a doom-laden future only on a pathway to transformation, sketching out a new world order that thrives on innovation, resilience, and human connection. They're not just spectators of collapse, but active contributors to what might take the place of the old world.
The retreat, true to its anti-establishment sentiments, attracts an eclectic mix of people, from homesteaders and doomsday preppers to educators, students, and activists. It's a congregation of minds, experiences, and ideologies who relish challenging established norms, discussing philosophy and society's magnificent complexities.
From sunrise until the stars speckle the evening sky, attendees immerse themselves in energetic debates, thought-provoking discussions, and inventive activities. Even as conventional systems crumble in their outlook, creative, unconventional solutions blossom. While shoveling soil in the homesteading workshop or sharing strategies in the prepping discussion, Doomer Optimists craft scenarios to not just survive, but also thrive in the impending transformation.
Despite the unity in their broad philosophical framework, there are inherent contradictions within the Doomer Optimist outlook. Across campfires and in hushed whispers, attendees wrestle with questions of patriotism versus distrust of government, opposition to communism while advocating for America's retreat from world affairs, and the implications for liberal democracy. However, these conflicts aren't sources of discord, but fertile soil for conversation and divergence in perspective.
The Doomer Optimist philosophy doesn't demand uniformity of thought; instead, it thrives on these internal tensions. These conflicts, far from fragmenting the group, are seen as catalysts for critical thought, allowing attendees to evaluate, debate, and refine their views in the warmth of shared radical optimism.
As the retreat concludes, attendees leave with more questions than answers, their minds brimming with curiosity, their spirits fuelled by both the innate fragility and breathtaking resilience of human societies. They passionately believe in their role as the vanguard of the predicted new societal order, a belief strengthened by their yearly pilgrimage to the Wagon Box Inn.
Yet, the real power of the gathering isn't merely in predicting the collapse, nor in offering alternatives for societal order; it's in fostering an environment that encourages open discourse, active participation, and a relentless optimism that guides them toward a good life amid anticipated chaos. It's a beacon of transformative hope that offers a compelling lens through which to envisage the future - one that may lie in the ruins of the old but is pregnant with the promise of an extraordinary rebirth.