Post #4369891

2026-08-04 07:56 UTC

Liberalism has become pathological in most elite institutions. Many leaders seem to have no knowledge that reactionary authoritarians have zero interest in pluralism or public dialogue with people they hate and fear. This essay was a really bad exemplar of this. It has good intentions but imagines that one can achieve positive social outcomes by being de-politicized. https://www.noemamag.com/we-may-be-entering-a-second-axial-age/ Reactionaries are too organized and too radicalized for simple dialogue to work.

Replies (1)

@mattsheffield@mastodon.social 2026-08-04 07:59

Reactionary politics can only survive when liberalism becomes technocratic. Tyranny of the market or the bureaucrat will always lose politically to tyranny of the fascist claiming to embody the general will. Only a radically expansive public welfare and education policy (including media) can solve this problem. People need help and fascists will promise anything. Democracy advocates need to actually help in a big way if they want to win.

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