post-Enlightenment Hope receding

In the wake of the Enlightenment there were two Ideologies of Hope.

During the 18th century: Democracy/Republicanism.

During the 19th century: Socialism (based on the idea of extending democracy into the economic sphere, increasing egalitarianism toward eventually getting beyond class division of society).

During the 20th century, for a period, the Communist variant of socialism resonated as the liberatory movement of Hope. After it was perceived to have failed (with the 1990 breakup of the Soviet Union), Hope remained, for a while, embodied in Democracy … as “liberal democracy.” This was associated with the establishmentarian center-right (traditionalist democratic) and center-left (social democratic) political parties that buttressed:
. the industrial state lite (i.e., less concentration of resources in the state than under socialism)
. regulation and a degree of management of the markets (especially: interest rates, money supply)
. economic globalization (ceding some sovereignty to internationalist institutions)
. welfare statism
. a DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) orientation

The 2008 election of Barack Obama might be viewed as the last widespread expression of Hope in the liberal democratic order. The unfolding failure of the latter is not as dramatic as that of Communism; it’s more gradual and incremental. It’s indicated by the increasing resonance of leaders and parties of the populist right. As Hope fades there is a reaction against establishmentarian modernity. With the likes of Trump, Bannon, Victor Orban (Hungary), Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel), Geert Wilders (Netherlands), Giorgia Meloni (Italy), AfD in Germany, Nigel Farage/UKIP (Britain), Marine Le Pen (France), Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), Javier Milei (Argentina), Calin Georgescu (Romania) … we see a vague and general kind of turning back … to patriotism, nativism, economic nationalism, and religious traditionalism.

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The scenario might seem depressing. But it’s inevitable. Our civilization has arrived at an alienating hypermodernity characterized by the dominance of the financial-capitalist-industrial state in conjunction with the institutions and technologies of mass society. This oppressive reality works satisfactorily only for the wealth/power elites. It’s not socially or ecologically sustainable, so a turning back of some kind is inevitable. Unfortunately, the extent of over-population, over-development, and over-shoot has gotten so extreme that it will take a long time to accomplish a healthy settling back into communitarian sustainability. Reaction is understandable, but we already see how it’s likely to manifest in some unfortunately toxic forms. Misunderstanding about and frustration with the situation could lead to civil strife … and wars (where we can only pray that the nuclear arsenals will not be deployed).