11-30-2016, 11:51 AM
(11-30-2016, 08:44 AM)anandrajan Wrote:(11-29-2016, 04:13 PM)Warren Dew Wrote:(11-29-2016, 03:33 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: I tend to agree. 4Ts are not times when society comes together, but possibly one side gets it together enough to defeat the other side and set the consensus for the next saeculum. It had better be the progressive side, otherwise (barring foreign conquest like the allies achieved in 1945) we begin a rapid decline for the first time ever for the English-speaking world in a 4T. Which means there will have to be a dramatic turnaround in political power in the 2020s. I do still predict it to happen, based on MY reading of the cosmic indicators.
For the benefit of anandrajan, I'll just note that I have a different view: I believe that whatever side wins, that side is considered after the fact to be the one that represents progress.
But, what if the next 1T is a kind of (Hegelian) synthesis of opposite views? Imagine this is 1945 after WW II. OK, perhaps the American left had to be pulled back from embracing communism then but there was broad consensus.
I see enough seeds in the millennials (including my kid) that give me hope: (i) Many hate identity politics (while remaining socially liberal), (ii) they have a strong communitarian ethos and with the road already paved by commercial open source communities they can scale that to all of society, (iii) they are agnostic about foreign policy, therefore seeming more pragmatic than boomers, (iv) they're badly hit by economic inequality but most will not turn to outright socialism. In other words, there are plenty of ways for a good synthesis to occur which is hard for us to see at the present time.
I do think the ultimate synthesis will include views from more than one side. However, I think that synthesis will coalesce around one side or another. As I said in another thread, I think that it's a fight between different boomer factions regarding which can persuade the most millenials to join "their" side,, perhaps by adjusting their positions in the process.