Rori O'Keeffe

In Love With Liberty: Opinions (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

In these five brief opinion pieces published from 2014 - 2017, I trace out my conviction that the freedom-loving center of our societies in the U.S. and Canada is dwindling, as our democratic politics give way to encroaching authoritarian elements on the left and right sides of the spectrum. I see no short term solution but to get out and vote for centrists; a longer term approach involves a participatory element being brought into politics, as well as a needed softening of the power authority wields over citizens. Social democracy is the best we can do at present, yet it remains elusive in the U.S. and is increasingly under assault in Canada. Participatory democracy would quickly start finding solutions to environmental and resource problems, as well as addressing the remarkable imbalances of wealth and opportunity in our societies.

A participatory democracy must obviously have strong safeguards against persecution and discrimination, and the system itself could invigorate public life with an ethic that "united we stand." Extremes of liberalism and conservatism present us with an existential crisis, though, and we must become involved and act before our countries descend all the way into authoritarian hatred and oppression.

---

Dieser Download kann aus rechtlichen Gründen nur mit Rechnungsadresse in A, B, CY, CZ, D, DK, EW, E, FIN, F, GR, H, IRL, I, LT, L, LR, M, NL, PL, P, R, S, SLO, SK ausgeliefert werden.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Rori O'Keeffe
• Erscheinungstermin: 13. Oktober 2018
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781370595280
• Artikelnr.: 54398074

Autorenporträt

[e-mail]

A thought for my fellow journeyers:

The new narrative of the right, I've noticed, is downright scary. Is the following an accurate characterization of the new right, or is it satire?
"Women have been oppressing men. People of colour have been oppressing white people. LGBTQ people are oppressing straight people. Political correctness is nothing more than a concerted effort to advance those people's agendas. If democracy leads to rule by the weak, stupid and perverted, then to hell with it. Dictatorship is the best and surest way of enshrining the status of the the male, the white, the straight."
I wish I could say it's just satire, but observing the multitudes of right-wing voices on social media, as well as paying close attention to the American GOP's ultimate fulfillment of Reagan's dream, it's obvious that Americans are flirting with catastrophe. Beware modern conservatism: It's nothing but authoritarianism, pure and simple.
How long will it be before Canadian conservatism becomes infected with this virus? Not too long, I don't think. The same well-moneyed forces are at work here as in the U.S. Expect a sharp shift further to the right if the Republican party takes control of both chambers in the next U.S. midterms.

What are whites, men and straight people afraid of? I think the common denominator of their fears is the challenge of having to compete for jobs and status in an inclusive society. Most are insecure because they are woefully unprepared psychologically to compete on a level playing field, having been sheltered by generations of unearned privilege. Soothe them, don't make them feel worse about themselves (think of Hillary's poorly-considered reference to the "basket full of deplorables." That comment may have cost her the election. It proved to many that liberals just hate the uneducated and mostly poor white people of the country.)

Whatever you do, don't try to make them feel inferior. That is central to their fears about themselves in an increasingly inclusive social environment. It's important, because if the U.S. goes down to dictatorship, then most or all the other democracies will as well, and civilization will expire in a global Orwellian nightmare. There are so many scathing things I could say about these democracies, but they are almost paradises compared to what a future of dictatorships would be like.
Please be kind, unwind.

Peace.