I grew up in the New Jersey suburbs in the 1990s. While an undergrad at George Washington University in the 2000s, I remember a fellow student in a political science class saying, “Fukuyama was right, until 9/11.”
Saying the end of history would be a sad or dull time almost seems like daring history to start again.
Yeah, like he did in his first four years in office. Remember how Trump sicced his AG on Barack Obama and his associates, persecuting them relentlessly in an effort to wipe them off the political map? Don't you remember?
And remember how Trump tried to censor anything that anybody said that disagreed with him? He called it 'disinformation' and 'misinformation', not to mention 'hate speech', and he said that he had a right to ignore the first amendment and censor and silence anyone who said things he didn't like. Remember?
Remember how Trump got FB and Twitter to spy on his opponents and cooperate with the federal government in censoring undesirable posts?
The desire of an administration to eliminate any and all opposition or dissent, is the very definition of fascism. And it's just terrible that Trump did all that ...Oh, wait, he didn't. It's Biden who is doing all that.
I remember when Trump tried to axe the Mueller inquiry, and said "Russia, Russia, Russia - Fake News!" And now his followers MTG and Tucker Carlson can't say enough good things about Russia and Putin. Absolutely no connection between Trump and Russia, I guess. In answer to your supposed lack of evidence of Trump's Fascism: He was lazy and incompetent as a President so he was ineffective in getting anything he wanted done. But he did manage to bungle the Pandemic and cause at least half a million extra deaths from Covid. This time his followers are much better organized. Trump virtually quotes Hitler in complaining about immigrants poisoning our blood, and he has plans for deporting millions and building concentration camps. Trump believes, and acts all the time as if he ought to be immune from prosecution for committing crimes. This also is Fascist.
Trump on January sixth: "We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," - Basically inciting an insurrection with that speech. - Verdict: Fascism!
You just got me started! I'm itching to lay down all the rest of the evidence that Trump is a fascist, just so you don't think I'm neglecting you. Trump refused to accept a fair democratic election and continues to this day to spread lies about his opponents stealing the election. Verdict - Fascist!
Reading this article, I am reminded of Phillip Shepherd's book Radical Wholeness. He describes how we have two "brains" or intelligence centers - our logical head-brain and our intuitive, sensual gut-brain. These two nodes of "intelligence" are linked by the vagus nerve and in constant communications.
Your analysis is probably correct. Fukiyama's concept of history is a head-brain logical concept, but lacking in the juiciness that our guts, our spirits crave. Shepherd posits we are out of balance having created what he calls the "tyranny of the head." Yes, the end of history will "feel" sad and empty to our hungry senses wanting more engagement than cold logical "history."
If technological liberal capitalism does solve much of humankind's existential problems, it then awakens and shifts energy to deeper, more visceral "hungers" rather than satisfaction with bland utopian finality. Thomas Jefferson included the "pursuit of happiness" in his preamble to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. I imagine he would agree with your argument that our souls need more than logical government and economics. Perhaps a balance between logic and intuitiveness is the key to what Jefferson was referring to as our primal "pursuit?"
I appreciate this essay. Yet, I'm scratching my head. Throughout, it works from a premise that the solution to whatever we think our problems are, is government. That seems a bit myopic. Persoanlly, the farther away I can manage to get from giovernment, the more I like it. I can't build my own roads, and I don't weant to ciollect my own trash. But I can think my own thoughtds and find my own solutions. I don't feel compelled to go along with anyone, or not to. In the hdsitroy of mankind, I don't think you'll ever find a time of general consensus on much of anything. Is that a problem? I don't think so.
I grew up in the New Jersey suburbs in the 1990s. While an undergrad at George Washington University in the 2000s, I remember a fellow student in a political science class saying, “Fukuyama was right, until 9/11.”
Saying the end of history would be a sad or dull time almost seems like daring history to start again.
I'm thinking more along the lines of "the end of civilization" with the coming of Trump and the resurgence of Fascism.
Yeah, like he did in his first four years in office. Remember how Trump sicced his AG on Barack Obama and his associates, persecuting them relentlessly in an effort to wipe them off the political map? Don't you remember?
And remember how Trump tried to censor anything that anybody said that disagreed with him? He called it 'disinformation' and 'misinformation', not to mention 'hate speech', and he said that he had a right to ignore the first amendment and censor and silence anyone who said things he didn't like. Remember?
Remember how Trump got FB and Twitter to spy on his opponents and cooperate with the federal government in censoring undesirable posts?
The desire of an administration to eliminate any and all opposition or dissent, is the very definition of fascism. And it's just terrible that Trump did all that ...Oh, wait, he didn't. It's Biden who is doing all that.
I remember when Trump tried to axe the Mueller inquiry, and said "Russia, Russia, Russia - Fake News!" And now his followers MTG and Tucker Carlson can't say enough good things about Russia and Putin. Absolutely no connection between Trump and Russia, I guess. In answer to your supposed lack of evidence of Trump's Fascism: He was lazy and incompetent as a President so he was ineffective in getting anything he wanted done. But he did manage to bungle the Pandemic and cause at least half a million extra deaths from Covid. This time his followers are much better organized. Trump virtually quotes Hitler in complaining about immigrants poisoning our blood, and he has plans for deporting millions and building concentration camps. Trump believes, and acts all the time as if he ought to be immune from prosecution for committing crimes. This also is Fascist.
You have responded to NONE of what I've said. Instead, you've responded with hyperbole.
Trump on January sixth: "We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," - Basically inciting an insurrection with that speech. - Verdict: Fascism!
OK, then. So, you are going to take words out of context and read meanings into them that weren't meant. You make a good progressive.
Now, take a gander at this montage of fascists who should ALL be thrown in prison. Why isn't Merick Garland prosecuting any of THEM?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG5BcU1ZGiA
Trump: suggesting that General Mark Milley should be executed for insubordination - Verdict: Fascism!
You just got me started! I'm itching to lay down all the rest of the evidence that Trump is a fascist, just so you don't think I'm neglecting you. Trump refused to accept a fair democratic election and continues to this day to spread lies about his opponents stealing the election. Verdict - Fascist!
Reading this article, I am reminded of Phillip Shepherd's book Radical Wholeness. He describes how we have two "brains" or intelligence centers - our logical head-brain and our intuitive, sensual gut-brain. These two nodes of "intelligence" are linked by the vagus nerve and in constant communications.
Your analysis is probably correct. Fukiyama's concept of history is a head-brain logical concept, but lacking in the juiciness that our guts, our spirits crave. Shepherd posits we are out of balance having created what he calls the "tyranny of the head." Yes, the end of history will "feel" sad and empty to our hungry senses wanting more engagement than cold logical "history."
If technological liberal capitalism does solve much of humankind's existential problems, it then awakens and shifts energy to deeper, more visceral "hungers" rather than satisfaction with bland utopian finality. Thomas Jefferson included the "pursuit of happiness" in his preamble to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. I imagine he would agree with your argument that our souls need more than logical government and economics. Perhaps a balance between logic and intuitiveness is the key to what Jefferson was referring to as our primal "pursuit?"
I appreciate this essay. Yet, I'm scratching my head. Throughout, it works from a premise that the solution to whatever we think our problems are, is government. That seems a bit myopic. Persoanlly, the farther away I can manage to get from giovernment, the more I like it. I can't build my own roads, and I don't weant to ciollect my own trash. But I can think my own thoughtds and find my own solutions. I don't feel compelled to go along with anyone, or not to. In the hdsitroy of mankind, I don't think you'll ever find a time of general consensus on much of anything. Is that a problem? I don't think so.