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A conclusion I reached that felt more long-term than near-term until COVID-19:
If Americans do not mobilize to reinvigorate/reform our institutions our democracy will not endure.
It won& #39;t end over night.
Maybe it won& #39;t even be clear to those who live through it when it does.
If Americans do not mobilize to reinvigorate/reform our institutions our democracy will not endure.
It won& #39;t end over night.
Maybe it won& #39;t even be clear to those who live through it when it does.
There is a view that if we just get Trump out of office that things can go back to normal. But consider problems that will remain long after Trump is gone.
Chief among them being gutted institutions and a significant portion of the population that does not believe in governing.
Chief among them being gutted institutions and a significant portion of the population that does not believe in governing.
The problem with entrenched opposition to governing is not just that a policy wish list is denied.
It& #39;s that our very ability to respond to challenges erodes. As it erodes there is an un-virtuous cycle that is produced. The less we can do, the less people expect from government.
It& #39;s that our very ability to respond to challenges erodes. As it erodes there is an un-virtuous cycle that is produced. The less we can do, the less people expect from government.
We& #39;re talking about a country that ended the bloodiest war in human history, set up the modern commercial and international political system as we know it, and rebuilt an entire continent.
Today we& #39;re barely keeping the lights on despite being immensely more wealthy.
Today we& #39;re barely keeping the lights on despite being immensely more wealthy.
In broad strokes, this is a trap many societies fall into. They lose their confidence in government as a whole and pin their hopes on some sort of genius or unique force of personality to solve their problems. & #39;I alone can fix it& #39; is a winning message when you no longer believe.
When your roads are busted, your schools are bad, young people are swimming in debt, and the government can& #39;t find time for those problems but can find time for the problems of the rich, most people don& #39;t take to the streets. They sigh and move on with their lives.
Without active resistance, people are good at adapting and shifting their expectations.
One day, someone more intelligent than Trump will seize on the forces that brought Trump to power.
One day, someone more intelligent than Trump will seize on the forces that brought Trump to power.
They will use the vast network designed to mobilize people on resentment.
They will say the right things about the importance of democracy.
But behind the scenes they will work to consolidate their power.
They will say the right things about the importance of democracy.
But behind the scenes they will work to consolidate their power.
Couple of additional thoughts to this thread:
Social democracy and the safety net it produces as seen in Western Europe is very popular among American liberals and leftists. But there is less of an understanding of how this arose.
Social democracy and the safety net it produces as seen in Western Europe is very popular among American liberals and leftists. But there is less of an understanding of how this arose.
