Maybe We Don't Need Another War
European Straits #5
Is total war necessary for radical change?
Most of the inclusive institutions in the Fordist age were the result of World War II: the need to rebuild cities from the ground up and heal the wounds of the people accelerated the transition to the new age of the automobile and mass production. The dramatic destruction of wealth that occurred during the war contributed to reducing inequalities. A political and institutional tabula rasa made room for the new Golden Age—just like the 14th-century Black Death paved the way for the Renaissance.
Why this time could be different, thanks to entrepreneurs
Software is eating the world and Silicon Valley is now becoming aware of the devastating impact of the digital transition: rising inequalities, job destruction, growing political tensions. More entrepreneurial intellectuals are now fueling a global conversation about possible solutions. Empowered to form an alliance with a multitude of billions of users, some entrepreneurs have even become more powerful than states. The likes of Elon Musk have the ambition and the power to tackle problems like global warming.
Why we can “Make Liberalism Great Again"
The traditional dividing lines between left and right are increasingly blurred, which causes both the rise of fascism and a growing disinterest in politics: fewer people vote, but those who do are more radical. Because both left and right aim to protect the interests of established corporations and privileged insiders, there is a need for a new liberal ideology supported by an alliance between entrepreneurs and the multitude. Liberalism embedded in entrepreneurship is a new golden opportunity for the left.
All related readings
The Future of Liberalism (Alan Wolfe, 2008). Link
Why Economic Backwardness Persists (Ronald Bailey, 2012). Link
Network Celebrity: Entrepreneurship and the New Public Intellectuals (Fred Turner & Christine Larson, 2015). Link
World War III (Roger Cohen, 2015). Link
Entrepreneurship Is the New Politics (2016). Link
Why Trump? (George Lakoff, 2016). Link
History Tells Us What May Happen Next With Brexit & Trump (Tobias Stone, 2016). Link
What Steve Bannon Really Wants (Gwynn Guilford & Nikhil Sonnad, 2017). Link
The Washington Salon That Saved Liberalism (Brad Snyder, 2017). Link
Comparing the Alt-Right to Nazism May Be Hyperbolic—But It's Not Ridiculous (Sean Illing, 2017). Link
Uber Just Put Every Tech Company In Danger (Kyle Hall, 2017). Link