09-17-2018, 04:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-17-2018, 04:12 PM by Eric the Green.)
(09-17-2018, 07:15 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote: I am on the cusp of X and Millennial generations,
I despise both SJWs and the far-right, and I'm also sceptical of classical liberalism. Human nature is way from perfect and thus personal freedom needs to be limited in some ways, behaviours like drug dealing, pornography and arguably prostitution have to be curbed so that a civilized society could prosper. My political views could be described as moderately leftist (GW Bush's compassionate capitalism) when it comes to economics and moderately conservative (but not traditionalist) when it comes to culture. I agree that identity politics is toxic. I don't see anywhere a political movement I could identify with. I liked neo-conservatism, but its mostly gone.
SJWs seem to be mostly millennial, but inspired by boomer countercultural movements like radical feminism from the 70s. The identitarian movements and classical liberalism are dominated by Xers. They seem to identify most not with what they support, but what they oppose. The most important thing for them is being against "political correctness".
Skeptical of classical liberalism is good. It's really the economic neo-liberalism that deserves the most skepticism. A moderately left position would work well in a European or other non-American setting. In the USA, "freedom" has come to be used as a tempting, deceptive slogan for what is really meant: freedom for the bosses to do whatever they want at our expense. That means lower taxes, fewer regulations, dismantling social programs, etc. It has become the religion of the Right-wing, along with fundamentalist Christianity.
I don't see what is wrong with being a warrior for social justice. Social justice is a good thing, and political correctness is fine as long as it just means not offending people of color and such. Admittedly, people who are fanatics can be annoying, especially if they are stuck on one or two issues; we need to see that the interests of diverse races, genders cultures, sexual preferences AND the interests of non-rich white and other working people are the SAME interests; and as Obama said, just focusing on one group over another is not the way to win elections and serve the people. In that sense, identity politics is not wise. But people do need to stick up for how society identifies them, when that identity is used oppressively against them.
Drug dealing can be toxic to the extent that the drugs are toxic, but I don't see that pornography and prostitution, though they can be irritating, can really threaten civilization; they are the world's oldest profession, so they say. But there needs to be a culture of respect for real energy and fulfilling, creative work, I think; not just mere pleasure.
To the extent that "neo-conservatism" was support for USA empire building, as for example in the invasion of Iraq, it was very toxic and deadly.
The New Age is a very valuable worldview. It has declined, unfortunately, largely because of determined propaganda and derision directed against it, and some commercialization of it; but I don't think the world can prosper and progress now without it. Those who took it on, won't forget it, although many millennials and Xers might. But it will be back, because it is our real destiny going forward, and it's worldview is largely correct and useful. The transhumanist views, on the other hand, cannot work unless they are balanced with the New Age views that understand spirituality, free from the outdated dogmas of the past, both scientific and religious. The consciousness revolution's revolution in consciousness WILL continue. And it has its place in science revolutions as well. Science itself has moved beyond materialism in many respects, and thus, to that extent, is itself "new age." But many boomers, millennials and Xers are blithely unaware of these trends today. As Trump might tweet, "sad"