Oct 21, 2023·edited Oct 22, 2023Liked by Erik Torenberg
I remember hearing Fukuyama’s “end of history” theory relayed to me by a third party and thinking he meant all countries would be liberal democracies. That seemed obviously wrong to me. I also remember seeing criticisms of it which all interpreted his theory the same as I had.
But then I heard the idea straight from his mouth on a podcast. And he explained it exactly as you explain it, and it makes perfect sense. I can’t find a reason to disagree, and it’s an easy theory to understand.
Weird how some people are just universally misunderstood by their critics. It’s as if the critics have some vested interest in not understanding that which they criticize.
Concepts that originated on one continent can't translate onto other continents. Europeans can be liberal democrats, but most of the third world can't. Even other high IQ societies like East Asians its not clear they could without our stewardship and a bunch of unprincipled exceptions (not much immigration in East Asia).
There is just so much difference between first and third world populations. Liberal democracy can't figure out a way to bridge that gap, because its designed for a more egalitarian society at a higher cognitive standard.
The critics I've come across don't typically contend over some question of the world converging on Liberal Democracy. Rather, they're effectively commies whose ideology fundamentally depends on Communism (by way of some flavor of Socialism) being the "final form".
>>“A people” is the historical norm. Everyone prior to 100 years ago knew the concept. It’s conjoined ethnicity, religion, culture, society, and land. Then liberalism comes along and says, oh no, you can’t have that. It's why Israel is forever a pariah state>>
That's why *all* Western states are pariah states, and not just Israel. Decolonization extends to every "settler entity," including the U.S. It's the same phenomenon that makes the American flag a "hate symbol." The notion of "nationalism" or "peoplehood"--a distinctive national identity and culture--is hostile to "universal human rights," global order and/or global institutions. It's also why border/immigration politics are so fraught.
Just a quibble, but it's leftist logic, and not liberal. Although I suppose you could argue that 'neoliberal consensus' decided, for coalitional reasons, to pull up the ladder behind them, i.e. we built our bounty on particularism, but we are the last states.
Liberal democracy is a blip on the timeline of human history. Perhaps it is a temporary anomaly? Recent developments in the U.S. demonstrate we are no longer a liberal democracy. The state and justice system are weaponized against the opposition. Average citizens are jailed for years for trespassing or posting memes. Elections are rigged and stolen. Elites enrich themselves at the expense of average citizens.
I think Fukuyama is wrong in assuming that epistemological improvement cannot happend anymore.
Sure, re-doing a previous system is not exciting to most and that also explains why these re-do-this impulses dont overthrow the liberal regime.
But just like inventing new tech (ex. the iPhone) is surprising and unexpected, a new regime will be new philosophical tech.
Steve Jobs say he didnt want to do market research, because, "people dont know what they want until you show it to them"
This global liberal order IS decaying, alongside the USA, and it make sense that turbo liberals will be the most out-of-ideas over political new tech. Is like expecting horse-trainers to invent the car in the XIX century.
There is no end to the spiraling up and out of humanity's creation of good explanations and understanding that transform scarcity into plenty, EXCEPT the self-fulfilling prophecy that we've scaled to the peak of moral innovation.
There is an infinity of resources to be combined with an infinity of knowledge that only Hss can create. Combine those two and you get an infinity of prosperity that will lead to ever-improving moral innovation.
Memelords bring good times. Good times make for Warlords. Warlords bring bad times. Bad times require Memelords and their good explanations that turn scarcity into prosperity.
Describing Israel as "the only modern western nation that gives its own special rights over others" is a fundamental misunderstanding of the core problem. A more accurate description would be: "the only modern nation that maintains control over a native resident population and provides special rights to one group".
I remember hearing Fukuyama’s “end of history” theory relayed to me by a third party and thinking he meant all countries would be liberal democracies. That seemed obviously wrong to me. I also remember seeing criticisms of it which all interpreted his theory the same as I had.
But then I heard the idea straight from his mouth on a podcast. And he explained it exactly as you explain it, and it makes perfect sense. I can’t find a reason to disagree, and it’s an easy theory to understand.
Weird how some people are just universally misunderstood by their critics. It’s as if the critics have some vested interest in not understanding that which they criticize.
Concepts that originated on one continent can't translate onto other continents. Europeans can be liberal democrats, but most of the third world can't. Even other high IQ societies like East Asians its not clear they could without our stewardship and a bunch of unprincipled exceptions (not much immigration in East Asia).
There is just so much difference between first and third world populations. Liberal democracy can't figure out a way to bridge that gap, because its designed for a more egalitarian society at a higher cognitive standard.
The critics I've come across don't typically contend over some question of the world converging on Liberal Democracy. Rather, they're effectively commies whose ideology fundamentally depends on Communism (by way of some flavor of Socialism) being the "final form".
>>“A people” is the historical norm. Everyone prior to 100 years ago knew the concept. It’s conjoined ethnicity, religion, culture, society, and land. Then liberalism comes along and says, oh no, you can’t have that. It's why Israel is forever a pariah state>>
That's why *all* Western states are pariah states, and not just Israel. Decolonization extends to every "settler entity," including the U.S. It's the same phenomenon that makes the American flag a "hate symbol." The notion of "nationalism" or "peoplehood"--a distinctive national identity and culture--is hostile to "universal human rights," global order and/or global institutions. It's also why border/immigration politics are so fraught.
Just a quibble, but it's leftist logic, and not liberal. Although I suppose you could argue that 'neoliberal consensus' decided, for coalitional reasons, to pull up the ladder behind them, i.e. we built our bounty on particularism, but we are the last states.
Liberal democracy is a blip on the timeline of human history. Perhaps it is a temporary anomaly? Recent developments in the U.S. demonstrate we are no longer a liberal democracy. The state and justice system are weaponized against the opposition. Average citizens are jailed for years for trespassing or posting memes. Elections are rigged and stolen. Elites enrich themselves at the expense of average citizens.
I think Fukuyama is wrong in assuming that epistemological improvement cannot happend anymore.
Sure, re-doing a previous system is not exciting to most and that also explains why these re-do-this impulses dont overthrow the liberal regime.
But just like inventing new tech (ex. the iPhone) is surprising and unexpected, a new regime will be new philosophical tech.
Steve Jobs say he didnt want to do market research, because, "people dont know what they want until you show it to them"
This global liberal order IS decaying, alongside the USA, and it make sense that turbo liberals will be the most out-of-ideas over political new tech. Is like expecting horse-trainers to invent the car in the XIX century.
Probably the best thing I’ve read on this topic, Erik. Thank you.
There is no end to the spiraling up and out of humanity's creation of good explanations and understanding that transform scarcity into plenty, EXCEPT the self-fulfilling prophecy that we've scaled to the peak of moral innovation.
There is an infinity of resources to be combined with an infinity of knowledge that only Hss can create. Combine those two and you get an infinity of prosperity that will lead to ever-improving moral innovation.
Memelords bring good times. Good times make for Warlords. Warlords bring bad times. Bad times require Memelords and their good explanations that turn scarcity into prosperity.
The Parsa Yuga.
Describing Israel as "the only modern western nation that gives its own special rights over others" is a fundamental misunderstanding of the core problem. A more accurate description would be: "the only modern nation that maintains control over a native resident population and provides special rights to one group".