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Retooling a philosophy THE NEW VOCABULARY OF LIBERALISM
Viewpoints, 11/30, The state of liberalism
Date published: 11/30/2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE --After rereading "Philosophy and Politics," Bertrand Russell's fluent and insightful essay on the connection between the two subjects, I found myself much better-equipped to answer the question: What about the future of modern liberalism? Lord Russell wrote: "The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment." Of course Russell was writing about the 17th-century Liberalism of Locke and Rousseau, but in my opinion the quotation is just as helpful in foreseeing the future of liberalism with a lower-case 'l.'At first glance, liberals had a very good year. Democrats expanded their majorities in both houses of Congress, and in what remains a breathtaking achievement in American history, this country elected Barack Obama, a constitutional lawyer and an African-American intellectual with a distinguished history of liberal activism. Not bad for a single Election Day. But consider Oscar Wilde's adage that when the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers. Democrats no longer have the luxury of discussing their theoretical agenda; they now have to implement it. And their victory couldn't have come at a worse time for ambitious social programs: The bleak financial forecast all but guarantees that the president's main focus for at least the next year, if not his first term, will be resurrecting So what about the social programs that comprised the centerpiece of Obama's presidential campaign? Clearly, Democrats will not be able to afford to vastly expand the scope of the federal government without first stabilizing credit markets, thwarting mass foreclosures, and calming the apocalyptic mood on Wall Street. Fortunately for Democrats--and, indeed, for the rest of the country--Obama appears acutely aware of the challenges that lie ahead, and
Date published: 11/30/2008
The New Vocabulary of Liberalism
(posted by
philparisi
, Nov. 30, 2008 7:54 am)
"By inextricably [sic] connecting the issues of health and wealth ...in terms of economic rehabilitation", Obama has created a mythological vocabulary that appeals to those who are economically illiterate. I think he knows his stated economic policy can't work, and will not implement much or any of it - but the vocabulary sure sounded good to college students, Oprahphites, and the millions of Americans whose sole understanding of Obamanomics is a government check with their name on it. ~Phil Parisi
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