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The Straussian Moment
gwern.netThese shifts away from traditional boundaries signal the recognition
among scholars and practitioners that the impersonality of bureaucratic
structures and processes can undermine passion for the public good
and suffocate creativity in the delivery of public value. These shifts
have also led Canada and other countries to search for alternatives, in-
clu
to participate in the great decisions of government. There was, Lippmann brooded, no “intrinsic moral and intellectual virtue to majority rule.” Lippmann’s disenchantment with democracy anticipated the mood of today’s elites. From the top, the public, and the swings of public opinion, appeared irrational and uninformed. The human material out of wh
... See moreMartin Gurri • Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
When we talk about justice today, we almost always find ourselves talking about rights we believe are entrenched in nature and have been enshrined in our founding documents. This language reflects a liberal conception of human action and interaction, casting us as rational agents who reach agreements with one another through calculation and negotia
... See moreHowever, he continues, over the last 50 years the need for people to be “legible” and fit into a standard model of work has merely become “industrially preferable.” This puts government and institutional leaders in a position where they are incentivized to convince people that following rigid paths in their institutions is the correct path for ever
... See morePaul Millerd • The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story For Work and Life
He’d be nothing. He wouldn’t even be 571. The real authorities could turn him into anything at all.