is there a negative connotation to the concept of "straight-line" futurism?

Well, eta, I feel there is, but that may just be personal taste. "Straight-line" (linear?) futurism probably works well enough in the short-term and within a limited range. Maybe it's a bit like Newtonian and Einsteinian physics being able to coexist quite happily, each being more useful in certain situations (think I'm correct there, but I'm no physicist)...