A Quick Case for Optimism Re: Civilization’s Future
A reader comments, “Your claim “The U.S. Citizenry is in the Process of Taking Back Its Democracy” is (quite) dubious!”
I grant that it’s dubious. It’s a prediction of the future, which makes it inherently uncertain. I happen to believe that it’s true, but I could have equally made the prediction solely on the basis that it has the potential to be a self-fulfilling prophesy.
I also grant that there are many people far brighter than I who are terribly pessimistic about all this, and their reasoning for their positions is admittedly quite strong. Yet I don’t really see a reason to share this level of gloom, not only because people need hope, but also that there are a staggering number of forces out there pushing for environmental and social justice.
Craig,
If you are going to quote me, please do so accurately.
The statement reads ; [“Your claim, “The U.S. Citizenry is in the Process of Taking Back Its Democracy”, is far more dubious !
Your claim presupposes that someone has taken away from US citizens the democratic process for electing representative governments. “]
The contention advanced by my comment was that the US democratic process is in no more or less danger that at any time in the nations history. To the contrary, the process is working better than at anytime in US history.
Far from being a bad thing, the decision in Citizens United reinforced the Constitutional guarantees for free speech and including all elements of society in the broad dynamic of the US political system.
(The quote appears in a response to your article. “It’s Not Impossible to Make Broad and Wonderful Changes To Our Civilization; It Happens All the Time ” ).
So, I agree with you that there is no real need to be pessimistic on this issue, since any “threat” was always just an illusion created by the frustration of those who can’t accept that the majority of their fellow citizens don’t share their beliefs.
I understand, and I think we all do, that you hold this viewpoint. I’m not sure there’s too great a point in your reiterating it all the time.
But I suppose you could say the same about me with my viewpoints. Whatever. I’m fine with whatever you want to say.
Craig,
I take very seriously any erosion of free speech, and believe in the observations by Edmund Burke :
” The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing”
” The greatest mistake of idealists, is when finding they cannot accomplish everything, make a virtue of spurning even the little that they could accomplish ” .
My reason for repetition can be found in the first quote. My concern that important voices like your own, are being distracted from practical environmental objectives and may become lost in the quagmire of dubious political partisan warfare.
I say this from the perceptive of someone who has observed the hi-jacking of a national environmental movement by the apparatchiks of the old socialist left, resulting in the alienation of more moderate supporters who don’t agree with the extraneous radical political agenda.