A truly first-rate and insightful commentary on the catastrophizers on the American right and what such catastrophizing portends for American democracy. Thank you again, Mr. Linker!
It’s up to us to save ourselves from their catastrophic ideas, because no one else will do so. I plan to get out and vote in 2024, and I’ve already voted early this year.
Astounding, isn't it, how many of these little damaged he-men have such difficulty dealing with female equality? I keep thinking of Nietzsche, "Go thee to women? Be sure to bring thy whip!" to which someone responded "I met Nietzche; 9 out of 10 women would have gotten the whip away from him." I suppose its not astounding at all.
Kudos for such a penetrating analysis of extreme Right’s total perversion of republican principles. You captured so well what we should prize: "But the proper arena in which to take advantage of liberalism’s protean character — its historical flexibility in response to cultural, social and economic changes over time — remains ordinary democratic politics, in which clashing parties compete for support and accept the outcome of free and fair elections." A friend to whom I had recommended your work sent me the NYT opinion so the word is out.
I am not a scholar or historian. Nonetheless, within the extent of my reading I come away with the conclusion that theocracies don’t turn out well for most of the people, particularly women, caught within them.
Outstanding work, Damon. Happy that it has been shared with a wider audience. I fear that many will sleepwalk into allowing these folks to control our lives. Thank you!
If the latest Times/Siena poll is correct, America IS on the verge of collapse. America will become a dictatorship if Trump wins the election. So "doom" is on the horizon.
Just read your whole essay, and my over-literal mind kept asking , “but wouldn’t we on the left then become the catastrophists if Trumpism prevails, even though in that instance it would be justified?” Will we be able to adhere to the proper arena of ordinary democratic politics you cite when we are faced with what we all agree could be a catastrophe? The tables would turn and then we would be accused of the same panic and end-of-the-world theorizing that you point to so clearly on the current far right.
Is one man’s catastrophist just another man’s truth-telling prophet?
What these ‘catastrophists’ have in common is a fascist-hatred for all who suffer under America’s unregulated capitalism and its capitalists.
These catastrophists support unregulated capitalism because it supplies them with adequate wealth, as it supplies vast wealth for a tiny percentage of Americans.
Of course, these catastrophists are alarmed. They write that they are the victims; their economy is suffering an existential threat. They lash out.
But, each day, more Americans become “woke” to unregulated capitalism’s inherent economic inequalities, its federal, state and local income tax cuts, tax breaks, and tax giveaways.
Catastrophists deeply desire to devolve. They want to return to a time when fascists, authoritarians, dictators, and ceasars ruled.
Meanwhile on another continent, Finland evolves to a new capitalism, one with higher purpose. A few years ago, Finland’s capitalists and government mutually agreed to a regulated form of capitalism wherein more benefit. Ask the Finns how happy they are with their new capitalism.
A truly first-rate and insightful commentary on the catastrophizers on the American right and what such catastrophizing portends for American democracy. Thank you again, Mr. Linker!
It’s up to us to save ourselves from their catastrophic ideas, because no one else will do so. I plan to get out and vote in 2024, and I’ve already voted early this year.
Astounding, isn't it, how many of these little damaged he-men have such difficulty dealing with female equality? I keep thinking of Nietzsche, "Go thee to women? Be sure to bring thy whip!" to which someone responded "I met Nietzche; 9 out of 10 women would have gotten the whip away from him." I suppose its not astounding at all.
Kudos for such a penetrating analysis of extreme Right’s total perversion of republican principles. You captured so well what we should prize: "But the proper arena in which to take advantage of liberalism’s protean character — its historical flexibility in response to cultural, social and economic changes over time — remains ordinary democratic politics, in which clashing parties compete for support and accept the outcome of free and fair elections." A friend to whom I had recommended your work sent me the NYT opinion so the word is out.
I am not a scholar or historian. Nonetheless, within the extent of my reading I come away with the conclusion that theocracies don’t turn out well for most of the people, particularly women, caught within them.
Outstanding work, Damon. Happy that it has been shared with a wider audience. I fear that many will sleepwalk into allowing these folks to control our lives. Thank you!
If the latest Times/Siena poll is correct, America IS on the verge of collapse. America will become a dictatorship if Trump wins the election. So "doom" is on the horizon.
Here’s a gift link to the full OpEd:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/04/opinion/sunday/conservative-intellectuals-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=1.70w.jx-e.yipp26_vglr2&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Just read your whole essay, and my over-literal mind kept asking , “but wouldn’t we on the left then become the catastrophists if Trumpism prevails, even though in that instance it would be justified?” Will we be able to adhere to the proper arena of ordinary democratic politics you cite when we are faced with what we all agree could be a catastrophe? The tables would turn and then we would be accused of the same panic and end-of-the-world theorizing that you point to so clearly on the current far right.
Is one man’s catastrophist just another man’s truth-telling prophet?
What these ‘catastrophists’ have in common is a fascist-hatred for all who suffer under America’s unregulated capitalism and its capitalists.
These catastrophists support unregulated capitalism because it supplies them with adequate wealth, as it supplies vast wealth for a tiny percentage of Americans.
Of course, these catastrophists are alarmed. They write that they are the victims; their economy is suffering an existential threat. They lash out.
But, each day, more Americans become “woke” to unregulated capitalism’s inherent economic inequalities, its federal, state and local income tax cuts, tax breaks, and tax giveaways.
Catastrophists deeply desire to devolve. They want to return to a time when fascists, authoritarians, dictators, and ceasars ruled.
Meanwhile on another continent, Finland evolves to a new capitalism, one with higher purpose. A few years ago, Finland’s capitalists and government mutually agreed to a regulated form of capitalism wherein more benefit. Ask the Finns how happy they are with their new capitalism.