A second point that may puzzle some readers is the implicit assertion of the title: Elite opinion continues to hold that liberalism in the above-noted political theory sense is not only succeeding marvelously but is really the only political system even worthy of consideration or respect.


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Consider the enthusiasm for U. But, as we shall see, he has very good reasons for his conclusion. Deneen notes that liberalism is one of the three great ideologies to dominate modern politics, along with communism and fascism. The latter two have been vanquished as serious competitors to liberalism, which had an advantage over them: It ingratiates by invitation to the easy liberties, diversions, and attractions of freedom, pleasure, and wealth. The two liberal parties in America compete by pointing to two seemingly opposed but factually reinforcing trends. The right-liberal Republicans warn against the dominance of society by the state, while the left-liberal Democrats point to the tyranny of the market as the greatest threat to human freedom.

Thus each party inspires its partisan members by fear of the threat the other party represents. But despite appearances, both parties, in fact, jointly work to expand both the state and the market. Those activities are fine things, but they are being carried out at an unsustainable pace.

Announcing the Death of Classical Liberalism

As Deneen puts it: The guest is clearly a proponent of closed. He selectively exaggerates the harms of the current world order while ignoring the benefits. Those good old days he trumpets featured widespread famine throughout Asia for example, and if the price of global progress is a few Detroit auto workers having to be retrained, so be it.

This week saw Elon Musk successfully launch the most powerful rocket since the days of the Apollo missions. It could not have happened without a liberal, open society welcoming an immigrant and granting him the opportunities to prosper. We all benefit as a consequence of the world's openness whether we acknowledge it or not.

If closed markets were all it took to save the environment the Aral sea wouldn't be a toxic pit. In particular, he notes that the ideal behind Mill's liberalism was liberating the individual from the tyranny of the majority and the established hierarchy. Yet in practice, it has led to the establishment of a new cosmopolitan elite who do extremely well in this new 'multicultural' or anti-cultural globalised and increasingly homogenous world.

Reports of the demise of liberalism are greatly exaggerated | Aeon Essays

Furthermore, he does not deny that liberalism has in some respects been phenomenally successful. The argument is more that it has reached a stage where it is becoming increasingly destructive, alienating people from their communities and traditions, and that this state is the logical endpoint of liberalism. Monday - Thursday 10pm Repeated: Tuesday - Friday 4pm. White liberalism is in fact in more trouble in this country than conservatism is.


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  4. The many deaths of liberalism!

    5. The only places where white liberals values matter are in elite cultural institutions — which is why getting Kevin Williamson fired from the Atlantic is a lot easier than getting senators to vote against confirming Kavanaugh. The Democrats had only one defection in the Kavanaugh vote, as it happens, but it was enough to avoid what would otherwise have been a tie: Joe Manchin, up for re-election this year in the reddest state with a Democratic senator. Liberals swore retribution — supporting Kavanaugh might just have cost him the vote of every single New Yorker subscriber in West Virginia.

    Even in Maine, white liberalism is dying.


    • Brett Kavanaugh and the death of white liberalism.
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    Conservatism under Trump, on the other hand, is flourishing, winning big victories first on taxes and now with Kavanaugh. NeverTrumpers have never been more embarrassed. Trump and those who come after him still have to find a way to win over non-whites, but the same ingenuity that led Trump to go after working-class voters can be applied to building other unexpected coalitions. Conservatism may remain overwhelmingly white for now, but at least conservatives are aware of that limitation.

    The death of Liberalism

    White liberals, on the other hand, continue to think they speak for more than just themselves. Ironically, what conservatives have to fear most is the middle distance — not in the midterms, which will be tough, but not as tough as they would have been if Kavanaugh had been defeated — is the blowback of success.

    Conservatism has long derived populist energy from its opposition to a liberal Supreme Court. Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson found the court something they could push against, and Federalists dominated the bench when Thomas Jefferson and his political descendents swept to power.

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    So even with the Supreme Court solidly in hand, conservatives are not guaranteed long-term success. But their prospects are better than those of white liberals, who habitually overestimate their importance to American politics and society. Women embrace during a protest against the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Daniel McCarthy 8 October 2: See also Subscriber Only subscribers-only US politics. Most Popular Read Recent Read. The nine lessons of Brexit Ivan Rogers.

    Further Information

    The myth of the Brexit cliff edge Matthew Lynn. Corbyn tables a motion of no confidence in May — will it backfire? Why business and the City should speak out against a second referendum Matthew Lynn.