Until February 19. I am away from my computer, and I keep messing up HTML.
Also, there is nothing to write about. Covington? Northam? If we have the luxury of turning these stories into headlines, then we are either doing very well as a country or else we are desparate for distractions from whatever real problems we have.
A few days ago Tyler Cowen recommended a book called Whiteshift, which claims that the cultural disruption we are experiencing is due to whites feeling threatened demographically. I probably should examine the book. Off hand, though, I think that Martin Gurri has a better explanation, because I don’t think Whiteshift can explain the Arab Spring or Greece or Spain. Gurri’s story is that elites are getting knocked off their perch in the age of the Internet.
In the U.S., I see a progressive elite that pounds the table insisting that it stands against oppression. And we have a conservative elite that pounds the table insisting that it stands against barbarism.
The 2016 election exposed the conservative elite as a slim minority.
The progressive elite is larger, but it is still just a minority. I think it is in a precarious position. Puritanism always provokes a backlash. And just as the Republican base decided that the conservative elite is not worth supporting, might non-white ethnics at some point decide that the progressive elite is not worth supporting? One can envision a scenario in which the progressive elite finds itself as beached as the conservative elite finds itself today.
I think you’re correct, judging by the comments I hear on facebook from progressive friends. They don’t like their own elites and want a revolution in their own party too. Only thing is that they want a populist leftist like Occasio-Cortez instead of a populist nationalist like Trump. They also revel in things like Occasio-Cortez’s unwillingness to bow to any of the elites’ sacred cows. So she does have a Trump like aspect in that way. She says crazy things that expand the overton window to the left.
To me it is somewhat depressing, since the next generation in tearing down the elites seems to be getting even more radical and tribalist. Their desire to overthrow their elites is because they think their elites are too willing to compromise. Hence terms like “cuckservative” to refer to moderate Republicans. The Republican base wanted someone who wouldn’t play nice with the Democrats, and the Democratic base, likewise, wants someone who doesn’t play nice either. And where is that going to lead? Everyone is ever less devoted to principle and ever more driven by taking revenge on their tribal enemies.
Nay, this IS what principled looks like. They disagree on the principles, but hand it to them: they’re against selling out for expediency or propriety.
The rationalist community types see the elites as TOO principled, preferring ideology to pragmatism. They too feel let down by elites, but for completely opposite reasons than the populists on left and right.
It’s not whites feeling threatened demographically, but that the sort-of white successful bourgeoise/ middle class culture is actually under attack.
Instead of a reduction in racism, thanks to anti-racism and integration and acceptance of blacks and other minorities, instead of a reduction, there is an increase in racist hatred — driven by racist hate mongers.
Instead of a reduction in sexism, thanks to acceptance of women in business, in sports, as a majority in colleges, instead of a reduction, there is an increase in sexist hatred — driven by sexist hate mongers. And both real and baseless accusations of “sexual assault”, with real punishments to men.
Instead of acceptance of sexual diversity, thanks to ending discrimination against gays and even grudging acceptance of gay marriage, instead of acceptance, there are more attacks on any who question or oppose gay marriage.
Christian believers feel, with evidence, that they are under attack.
America used to have Free Speech. The Dems are literally attacking conservative & libertarian speakers, like Murray, Milo, even Ben Shapiro.
And these cultural attacks have been abetted strongly by white, male, hetero men in the Democratic Party, as well by blacks, women, and gays.
Now the promotion of socialism, not so different from upper class Bertrand Russell’s Fabian Society (see their issue Winter 2018, Volume 130 – No.4; 134 years), this promotion of socialism is an attack on the US middle classes.
Tyler is too much among the elites, and Gurri is more correct about the elites being out of touch.
Have a great couple of weeks, Arnold.
Enjoy your time away. Although your daily wisdom will be missed, if I may be so bold as to suggest it, taking some time to distance oneself from US politics can do wonders for one’s overall disposition and satisfaction with life.
I think that Martin Gurri has a better explanation
How about “whites feeling threatened demographically” was one of the primary reasons for Martin Gurri. WWC conservatives really hated that Rubio and Immigration Reform was the answer for the 2013 and voted for Trump who made anti-immigrant voters (20% here) believe him that was a focus. (Whereas Romney was the standard R conservative that more should go home.)
The 2016 election exposed the conservative elite as a slim minority.
Do you remember the vote count here? Trump won with an electoral college of the right set of voters.
I would like to know about this “conservative elite,” as I don’t see any such animal. There are some illiberal, progressive word choice, elites who are quite libertarian, but none who would qualify as conservative in even a 20th century pre-Reganism sense.
The issue at hand seems less ado of demographics and cultural trends, though those are macro trends with serious consequences in the longer term, and more about the consolidation of a liberal, small L, uniform culture at the top level of your society.
For all intents and purposes, you have only anti-nativist/anti-white-middle-and-working-class elites who are engaged in a set plan of action and have not been dissuaded by the Trump movement or the parallel left radicalization. The reasons for this are two-fold: either the elite believe they are in control enough to avoid any future pitfalls of a radical left wing minority majority society, or they believe in their own demolition and extinction along with all the nations they are dooming via mass demographic and cultural change.
Given these are still among the more intelligent people in your society, I hazard the guess that they are not suicidal and have a plan of action which involves their ruling a much broader empire of peoples and places. In so far as a formal empire expands, the domestic political situation will have to unify around some imperial norm.
In other words, the DNC is destined to be the party of state, as it has been, and the GOP is largely showing its irrelevance.