Here's the riddle that we have to figure out if we are to survive as a species:
How do we stop ideology's deadly cycle from repeating?
1. Political liberalism (free speech, democratic elections, let people make their own decisions) is an unalloyed good.
2. Political liberalism usually leads to economic liberalism (markets, free trade, laissez-faire). People want to use their talents and ingenuity to increase their own well-being.
3. Economic liberalism usually leads to monopolies as some industries come to dominate the competition.
4. Monopoly power leads to fascism as monopolies take over the state and weaponize it to serve their own purposes. Most of the carnage of the last few years is the direct result of Pharma seizing the state throughout the developed world and using it to increase their wealth and power.
5. Fascism leads to genocide as opponents of the monopoly state are systematically eliminated. The fascist state also likes slavery because that increases their wealth and the perverse pleasure that they take from domination.
6. The paradox though is that the remedy for this catastrophic outcome appears to be... political liberalism (just starting this cycle all over again)? Many of the greatest defenders of the people over the last three years were libertarians (Brownstone Institute) — people who champion political and economic liberalism. By contrast Progressives went all in for fascism, thus completely discrediting that century-long line of thought.
However, it seems Sisyphean to just keep repeating this cycle every 80 years until the monopolists finally finish us off (technology makes that easier and easier).
Is there any way to step off this roller coaster without ending up with something worse?
Is there any way to interrupt this cycle and preserve the good while blocking the eventual formation of fascism? (Antitrust was an attempt to do that but the robber barons are always able to use their wealth to buy the political system and remove obstacles to concentrated market power).
It seems to me that solving this riddle is the urgent task before us. Figuring this out is essential if we hope to transcend this crisis and emerge into a better future.
Questions for you:
1.) Have I characterized the problem correctly? If not, how do you see it?
2.) How do we interrupt this cycle, step off the hamster wheel, and transcend the failed ideologies that led us into this valley of death?
3.) Are we staring at failed ideology (that can be fixed) or simply the human condition (always broken, always flawed, always lusting after things that make us miserable in the end)?
Blessings to the warriors. 🙌
Prayers for everyone fighting to stop the iatrogenocide. 🙏
Huzzah for everyone working to build the parallel society our hearts know is possible. ✊
In the comments, please let me know your thoughts on the questions above.
As always, I welcome any corrections.
My thinking on this topic is influenced by the book, The Apprentice's Sorcerer: Liberal Tradition and Fascism by Ishay Landa.
https://www.amazon.com/Apprentices-Sorcerer-Tradition-Critical-Sciences/dp/1608462021
The premise is brilliant (that liberalism eventually ends in fascism despite the best intentions of its proponents). But the book itself is almost unreadable because it spends all of its time debating various theorists instead of engaging with history and events in the real world (the actual tests of theory).
One more thing. I think that ideologies change at a faster rate these days. I was dumbfounded by the fact that so many of yesterday’s liberals have become today’s fascists. But then again, look at how many people, myself included, have jumped ship to support leadership that puts the constitution and individual liberties first. Twenty years ago, we’d never have seen a mass exodus of registered Democrats completely bailing on the party. The possibilities for future change are wide open. 🙏