History teaches us that there is nothing inevitable about “the way it is,” and there is nothing “pragmatic” about accepting the inevitability of the status quo.
Not only is the status quo NOT inevitable, what is considered status quo -- what is the foundation of an era's "cultural hegemony" -- changes in a fundamental way at 80-90 year intervals. These "Fourth Turnings" occur after all the generations alive in the last major crisis era (in our case, the Great DP & WWII) have died off, and the social contract that they created (to escape that crisis) has become fully outdated and dilapidated. In the last phase of the long wave, the succeeding generations (Boomers, GenXers, Millennials), facing the harrowing near-collapse of the old order, unite in a cross-generation, cultural and political rebellion, demanding a new social contract and a new order. That's when bourgeois cultural hegemony reaches its nadir, and revolutionary change, even by peaceful (though difficult) electoral means, becomes necessary, possible and inevitable. We're in the Fourth Turning now, which should give us tremendous confidence about prospects in the period ahead. Here's some more information, if interested: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1151921. Thanks, also, for Deprogramming Hasbara.
Based on Khondratiev long cycle theory, I'm familiar with the general idea. I'm not entirely sold on all of it but I keep an open mind. People I like and respect swear by it. And it doesn't take powers of prophecy to see the old order collapsing and a revolutionary window approaching. Thanks for listening to the pod and reading the article, I'll take a look at yours.
Genocide is wrong.
Backing Israel is wrong.
Right is right and wrong is wrong.
The progressive label is dead.
I don’t disagree, though not sure why you posted that on this specific article. ?
Not only is the status quo NOT inevitable, what is considered status quo -- what is the foundation of an era's "cultural hegemony" -- changes in a fundamental way at 80-90 year intervals. These "Fourth Turnings" occur after all the generations alive in the last major crisis era (in our case, the Great DP & WWII) have died off, and the social contract that they created (to escape that crisis) has become fully outdated and dilapidated. In the last phase of the long wave, the succeeding generations (Boomers, GenXers, Millennials), facing the harrowing near-collapse of the old order, unite in a cross-generation, cultural and political rebellion, demanding a new social contract and a new order. That's when bourgeois cultural hegemony reaches its nadir, and revolutionary change, even by peaceful (though difficult) electoral means, becomes necessary, possible and inevitable. We're in the Fourth Turning now, which should give us tremendous confidence about prospects in the period ahead. Here's some more information, if interested: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1151921. Thanks, also, for Deprogramming Hasbara.
Based on Khondratiev long cycle theory, I'm familiar with the general idea. I'm not entirely sold on all of it but I keep an open mind. People I like and respect swear by it. And it doesn't take powers of prophecy to see the old order collapsing and a revolutionary window approaching. Thanks for listening to the pod and reading the article, I'll take a look at yours.