07-21-2020, 02:25 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-21-2020, 02:49 AM by Eric the Green.)
I think the "left authoritarians" are not as dangerous as you say. I am not unaware of them. I don't think leftists are a mob. I don't think a socialist revolution will succeed and kill people. They may insist on correct terms, but they are not proposing to put people in jail for not using them. All these accusations against the Left are exaggerations. The accusations against the fascist right are not.
The West as the traditional Enlightenment values has already collapsed over 100 years ago. The Decline of the West has been announced. A new culture is rising. It is both global and local. It is green. It says we can have a world without war. It restores spirituality as opposed to materialism and physicalism alone, and restores a holistic world view. It values intuition as well as intellect and science. It understands the implications of new theories in psychology, physics and biology. The various modern arts and music have expressed this new culture since the 1890s. In America, the old style of "progress as our most important product" continued to dominate until the 1960s, but then the new culture came in. I don't mean to say it is monolithic, or that everyone in the new culture adheres to every trend in it. This is a collection of inter-related trends that have currency now, sometimes more than at other times, and different aspects at different times and in different turnings.
It respects diversity, for sure. It understands that mixed races are inevitable. There is oppression, and I understand it can seem that some leftists focus too much on this. But, greater liberty and equality are obviously still necessary as recent events demonstrate. There are tremendous wealth gaps and education gaps based on race and ethnicity. There is homophobia. There is voter suppression, racial profiling and police brutality. Groups that feel oppressed need to unite and help each other. But this new culture is more than just some people enforcing political correctness. It certainly seeks the overthrow of the last 40 years of insidious and unquestioned Reaganomics. Socialism is more popular than it was, but only if democratic, not authoritarian or monolithic state-run. The leftist obsessions don't need to be opposed and resisted; just tempered. Hate is not a basis for a new society. But, the real power in this society is insidious, tenacious, and won't be replaced easily. Movements are needed.
The Left must succeed in order for the next "high" or recovery to happen. Otherwise, inequality will create a banana republic. Climate change will make the world unliveable, and pandemics will destroy economies. Democracy will be destroyed and replaced by the authoritarian right. The Left/liberals will create instead a new consensus. It says, the climate will be restored and pollution ended. Equal opportunity will replace Reaganomics. Government will be restored to the people and dedicated to helping those in need. Competent leaders will be chosen again.
The West as the traditional Enlightenment values has already collapsed over 100 years ago. The Decline of the West has been announced. A new culture is rising. It is both global and local. It is green. It says we can have a world without war. It restores spirituality as opposed to materialism and physicalism alone, and restores a holistic world view. It values intuition as well as intellect and science. It understands the implications of new theories in psychology, physics and biology. The various modern arts and music have expressed this new culture since the 1890s. In America, the old style of "progress as our most important product" continued to dominate until the 1960s, but then the new culture came in. I don't mean to say it is monolithic, or that everyone in the new culture adheres to every trend in it. This is a collection of inter-related trends that have currency now, sometimes more than at other times, and different aspects at different times and in different turnings.
It respects diversity, for sure. It understands that mixed races are inevitable. There is oppression, and I understand it can seem that some leftists focus too much on this. But, greater liberty and equality are obviously still necessary as recent events demonstrate. There are tremendous wealth gaps and education gaps based on race and ethnicity. There is homophobia. There is voter suppression, racial profiling and police brutality. Groups that feel oppressed need to unite and help each other. But this new culture is more than just some people enforcing political correctness. It certainly seeks the overthrow of the last 40 years of insidious and unquestioned Reaganomics. Socialism is more popular than it was, but only if democratic, not authoritarian or monolithic state-run. The leftist obsessions don't need to be opposed and resisted; just tempered. Hate is not a basis for a new society. But, the real power in this society is insidious, tenacious, and won't be replaced easily. Movements are needed.
The Left must succeed in order for the next "high" or recovery to happen. Otherwise, inequality will create a banana republic. Climate change will make the world unliveable, and pandemics will destroy economies. Democracy will be destroyed and replaced by the authoritarian right. The Left/liberals will create instead a new consensus. It says, the climate will be restored and pollution ended. Equal opportunity will replace Reaganomics. Government will be restored to the people and dedicated to helping those in need. Competent leaders will be chosen again.