I find myself in a difficult position. I am not a Democrat. I am not a Trump supporter. I am not a civic nationalist. I am not an ethnic nationalist.
I believe in institutions. Truth be told, I have my doubts about American institutions. I think past tinkering has already placed us in an untenable position, but I believe that we must respect those institutions nevertheless. Why?
Because those institutions are the product of our liberal democracy. We liberal democrats, we classical liberals, must keep that simple fact in mind. Colin Powell had his famous Pottery Barn rule for Iraq: You break it, You bought it.
The same applies in our present crisis. We broke it. Now we have to fix it, whilst respecting the institutions that have made us a Shining City on a Hill for the world at large.
No matter the man, we should never join ourselves to a cult of personality.
I believe our institutions are strong enough to weather the storm, especially if the average citizen defends and safeguards them.
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Reddit and Politics
I've reached a simple conclusion, one that many people have probably already reached on their own.
Reddit is the hemlock of civil society.
In real life people are atomizing themselves. Online people are Balkanizing themselves. Truth be told, this is a false dichotomy. A lot of things are going on, but I believe people are devaluing themselves and finding values in tribes.
Reddit is a platform, a battleground, for digital tribes. Reddit allows these digital tribes to engage in rhetorical combat. Upvote allies. Downvote enemies. This is nothing new.
I belong to the first generation that took the internet for granted. Sure, it was expensive and frustrating, but you could always count on a connection. But the generation before us were the true trail blazers of the internet. They were the first trolls, the first sock puppets, the first tribes.
Centuries ago, Rousseau answered a simple question with a simple answer. Has civilization benefited humanity? No, it hasn't, he answered. A simplistic answer, but at least he has the guts to bite the bullet.
When asked about the French Revolution, Zhou Enlai said it was too early to tell. Perhaps he's right.
Reddit is the hemlock of civil society.
In real life people are atomizing themselves. Online people are Balkanizing themselves. Truth be told, this is a false dichotomy. A lot of things are going on, but I believe people are devaluing themselves and finding values in tribes.
Reddit is a platform, a battleground, for digital tribes. Reddit allows these digital tribes to engage in rhetorical combat. Upvote allies. Downvote enemies. This is nothing new.
I belong to the first generation that took the internet for granted. Sure, it was expensive and frustrating, but you could always count on a connection. But the generation before us were the true trail blazers of the internet. They were the first trolls, the first sock puppets, the first tribes.
Centuries ago, Rousseau answered a simple question with a simple answer. Has civilization benefited humanity? No, it hasn't, he answered. A simplistic answer, but at least he has the guts to bite the bullet.
When asked about the French Revolution, Zhou Enlai said it was too early to tell. Perhaps he's right.
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