Liberalism is the rebellion now
So I come to the abiding paradox that defines our predicament. An affluent, well-educated, hyper-connected public is in revolt against the system that has bestowed all of this bounty upon it. The great motive power of the revolt isn’t economic resentment but outrage over distance and failure.
Martin Gurri • Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
For the evangelical left, equality and fairness are universally shared goals. Rothbard’s response was a book titled Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature. The idea that freedom and democracy are not only compatible but downright synonymous is taken for granted in contemporary American culture, but here Rothbard disagrees as well.
Michael Malice • The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics
As the Internet became an always-on, mainstream phenomenon, however, it also reverted to the mean. Influencer culture happens at scale. It’s not about finding the bizarre nooks and crannies of weird, but reaching as many people as possible. Hit counts and numbers of followers are all that matter. It is about getting bigger, rather than smaller. Rea... See more
Douglas Rushkoff • Pockets of Weird: The Fight Over Reality
Just as Christianity didn’t disappear the day Darwin published On the Origin of Species, so liberalism won’t vanish just because scientists have reached the conclusion that there are no free individuals. Indeed, even Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker and the other champions of the new scientific world view refuse to abandon liberalism. After dedicatin
... See moreYuval Noah Harari • Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
For the evangelical left, every Facebook update can be a personal march on Selma.
Michael Malice • The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics
with so much noise on social media and so many news outlets disseminating contradictory information, citizens are justifiably confused and cynical. Many find it easier to retreat into echo chambers and share misinformation than discern what’s real amid the chaos of the public sphere.
Zac Gershberg • The Paradox of Democracy
The old American left said something like “we all need to work for the common good” while the old right said something like “pay your dues and you’ll achieve the American dream.” The new left says “we are all equal” and the new right says “you ain’t the boss of me.” So, the old left/right combination supported self-sacrifice and a stable hierarchy1
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