The hottest Liberalism Substack posts right now

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"Natcons" and "Freecons" and Liberals

Symposium • 334 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Reclaim liberalism instead of conserving the problematic aspects of conservatism
  2. Recognize the rise of 'freecons' as an alternative to 'natcons' in the conservative movement
  3. The importance of moving beyond outdated ideologies and building on the foundation of liberalism for progress

And we're back

The Bellows • 11 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Liberalism is in a deep crisis that isn’t driven by material scarcity but by widespread social disconnection and elite cynicism that leave democratic institutions vulnerable.
  2. Economic plenty has made the need for collective meaning and shared purpose more urgent, because freedom and prosperity alone don’t give most people the social bonds they need.
  3. Narrow policy fixes won’t be enough; society likely needs broad cultural and community renewal—maybe even spiritual or civic movements—that rebuild shared purpose without sliding into authoritarian or theocratic alternatives.

Christianity and Liberalism

Restoring Truth • 117 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Liberalism
  1. Theological liberalism distorts the true message of Christianity by replacing biblical truth with inclusivity and social justice.
  2. J. Gresham Machen's book, 'Christianity and Liberalism,' from 100 years ago still resonates today in its timeless critique of theological decay.
  3. It's crucial for believers to hold fast to sound theology and not be swayed by trendy or compromised interpretations of the Christian faith.
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This is Hypertext

Hypertext • 139 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Hypertext journal is a new platform from the Niskanen Center focused on liberalism, political economy, and policy.
  2. They aim to engage in thoughtful dialogue through essays to bring people together and restore the original promise of hypertext.
  3. The Niskanen Center works to bridge the gap between traditional left and right ideas by injecting fresh perspectives into public discourse.

Free speech is in trouble

Silver Bulletin • 779 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Free speech is facing challenges, especially among young liberals who show low tolerance for controversial speech.
  2. College students have varying levels of tolerance for controversial speakers, with notable differences between conservative and liberal viewpoints.
  3. The decline in support for free speech is not limited to elite universities, indicating a broader generational shift.

The Schizophrenia of the GOP Platform

Banana Peel Pirouette • 158 implied HN points • 29 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. The GOP platform shows a contradiction between social conservatism and economic conservatism.
  2. Under a capitalist system, traditional values are challenged by the free market's constant evolution.
  3. The emergence of new social dynamics, such as the decline in church attendance and changing family structures, can be attributed to the effects of capitalism.

Can open societies survive?

Hypertext • 59 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Liberalism
  1. Liberal democracies have faced challenges in recent years due to the rise of ideologies hostile to the liberal order, resulting in increased doubt among defenders of liberal democracy
  2. In his final work, Gerald Gaus argued that open societies can address challenges through a liberal framework and highlighted the importance of public justification for moral justification in a diverse society
  3. Gaus proposed that open societies, despite facing complexity and governance issues, can succeed through bottom-up moral reasoning, local-level social contracts, and reliance on markets and democracy for collective self-governance

Symposium: Year Three

Symposium • 137 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Liberalism
  1. The purpose of Symposium is to encourage different ways of thinking about liberalism and politics.
  2. Symposium aims to break through traditional categories and find common ground among liberals.
  3. Changing how people think is crucial for intellectual progress and political change.

A Race to the Top

Symposium • 137 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Opposing extremism on both sides is important for preserving liberal values.
  2. Political alliances should be based on shared values rather than just labels like 'left' or 'right'.
  3. Seeking allies in defense of liberalism requires a collective effort to strive for better ideals.

A Tribute to Saint Alexei, Patron Saint of Liberal Democracy

Fisted by Foucault • 393 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. Saint Alexei, a figure representing liberal democracy, faced challenges in his past but ultimately embraced the principles and mission of liberal democracy, symbolizing a transformation and dedication to the cause.
  2. The narrative highlights the conflict between Saint Alexei and Russian leaders, shedding light on the struggle for liberal democracy in a political environment filled with corruption and oppression.
  3. The portrayal of Saint Alexei as a hero and martyr underscores the importance of his mission to bring liberal democracy to Russia and the sacrifices made by individuals in this pursuit.

The Crab Louie Story

Handwaving Freakoutery • 667 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🎭️ Culture Liberalism
  1. Regional prejudices can be displayed oblivious to the person exhibiting them.
  2. Integration involves being aware of and reckoning with prejudices.
  3. Being in a diverse environment can lead to greater awareness and accountability for one's beliefs.

Liberals have always emphasized the need for collective action

Demodexio • 132 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Liberals believe people should work together to solve problems, not just focus on individual efforts. Collective action is really important in creating change.
  2. Socialism is often seen as a barrier to this teamwork because it can fixate on class issues. Liberals argue that this focus makes it hard to address other important aspects of people's lives, like race and gender.
  3. Throughout history, thinkers have emphasized that a successful society relies on people coming together for common goals. This idea has been part of liberal thought for over 2,400 years.

The Price of Liberalism: The Fertility Problem

Fake Noûs • 365 implied HN points • 23 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Liberalism
  1. The world is experiencing a decline in fertility rates, particularly in more prosperous nations.
  2. Liberalism, with its focus on individual freedom and prosperity, may contribute to the decline in fertility due to factors like career options and personal pursuits.
  3. Possible solutions to the fertility problem include promoting the idea that having children is valuable, advancing technology like artificial wombs, and providing incentives for people to have more children.

The rise of low liberalism

The Path Not Taken • 551 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. Historically, liberalism was for elites but now non-elites are embracing it.
  2. Low liberalism can have contradictions and may strain liberal democracy.
  3. Low liberalism involves populist tactics and can lead to politicization of non-political spheres.

Authoritarianism and the Modern Liberal State

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 117 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Modern authoritarianism can be different from historical fascism, as it stems from today’s anti-fascist values. It's important to understand how current states operate beyond just past comparisons.
  2. The idea that more rights to bear arms would fully protect freedoms is oversimplified. A deeper approach is needed to challenge state power effectively.
  3. Classical liberalism has changed, with a shift from focusing on individual rights to promoting more social welfare. This change has expanded state authority despite its anti-authoritarian claims.

HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: An Ur-Text by George Stigler for Dark Satanic Millian Liberalism, & Related Matters...

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 76 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24
💼 Business Liberalism
  1. The market economy is seen not just for creating wealth, but for shaping character and virtues like self-discipline and resilience. This suggests that economic struggles can help people become better individuals.
  2. Some economists argue that uncertainty and risk of poverty are necessary for a society to function well. They believe without these challenges, people might not push themselves to improve.
  3. Critics of this perspective think that focusing on the hardships of capitalism ignores the real needs and experiences of everyday people. They see value in prosperity and security, not just in struggle and sacrifice.

Authoritarian politics in postwar Europe, or: Why fascism is a bad way to describe what is happening in Germany

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 191 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. Liberalism, socialism/communism, and right-nationalism have overlapping elements but differ in their ideologies and approaches.
  2. Authoritarianism is a complex concept that can be found in varying degrees across different political ideologies.
  3. Current political shifts in Germany towards illiberalism are driven by the left-liberal government's desire to maintain power, but labeling them as fascists might not be accurate.

Subscriber Commentary & Review Thread (#15)

The Upheaval • 261 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. The Gulf States are rapidly changing due to economic boom, attracting global wealth and talents, leading to potential reshaping of global liberalism.
  2. Central banks are pushing forward with the development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) despite concerns over totalitarian state surveillance and control.
  3. Global trends suggest a shift towards stable authoritarian regimes with liberal elements, possibly leading to a new form of governance different from the West or China.

The Meaning of the Rainbow Revolution

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 245 implied HN points • 11 Jun 23
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. Western liberal tradition aims to limit state power and believes in the sovereignty of the people, but this approach has faced challenges with the evolution of unchecked authoritative regimes.
  2. Liberal checks on state power have led to the development of legal and cultural strategies to bypass limitations, making the state a more dangerous entity.
  3. The concept of rights in liberal systems has been manipulated to expand state power by emphasizing positive over negative rights, leading to the creation of novel rights that can restrict traditional freedoms.

The Liberal Arts Are Dying Because Liberalism is Dying

What Is Called Thinking? • 189 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🎭️ Culture Liberalism
  1. Negative capability, the ability to entertain doubt and uncertainty, is a virtue crucial for understanding and self-improvement.
  2. Liberal arts decline is linked to the unfashionability of liberalism, impacting the promotion of open-mindedness and critical thinking.
  3. True thinking and poetizing require clandestine nurturing, not easily measured by traditional standards, acknowledging the elusive nature of cultivating deeper intellectual virtues.

Liberalism Versus Democracy 2

From the New World • 32 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Liberalism
  1. Liberalism hides the political aspect of society instead of getting rid of it. It uses a way of talking about politics that keeps its true nature hidden.
  2. Polarization, or disagreement, helps people understand their true values. It's not about making people hate each other; it's about revealing differing opinions.
  3. Social harmony can sometimes be enforced in a way that isn't natural. When that enforced order weakens, people's honest disagreements come to light.

Politics' Final Form According to Fukuyama

Holodoxa • 59 implied HN points • 16 Jul 22
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. Fukuyama defends liberalism, emphasizing individual rights and the importance of moderation in governance.
  2. He critiques extreme positions like over-eager free market embrace and governmental enforcement of moral life.
  3. Fukuyama's portrayal of liberal and contra-liberal ideas is clear and organized, making the book a compelling read.

Liberalism Versus Democracy 0

From the New World • 16 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Many people believe that democracy and populism cannot work together. This creates a worry that democracy is failing.
  2. There is a lot of talk about free speech and how it might hurt democracy. People are questioning if this is true.
  3. Some argue that social media is damaging to democracy. Yet, it raises the question of whether those claims about democracy's end are valid.

The new assault on loving an immigrant

Striking 13 • 6 HN points • 02 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Liberalism
  1. The UK government introduced an income threshold for spousal visas, impacting many families and making it difficult for partners with lower incomes to live together in the UK.
  2. This policy change affects a large percentage of UK employees, potentially separating families and forcing tough choices between love and country due to financial requirements.
  3. The policy represents an ideological assault on liberalism, demonstrating a disregard for individual freedoms and highlighting the importance of caring for people regardless of their background or income level.

Confessions of an Accidental Reactionary

Reactionary Feminist • 39 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Liberalism
  1. Valuable loyalty in difficult times can exist in unexpected places, challenging the idea of easy separations
  2. Real-life stories of relationship challenges can be rare and challenging to share publicly
  3. Acknowledging and celebrating loyalty and perseverance in relationships is essential, even if the circumstances seem unconventional

On 'The End of History?'

Castalia • 19 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Liberalism
  1. Fukuyama's essay, 'The End of History,' argues that liberal democracy is the final form of government, evolving from historical conflicts. He suggests that the end of the Cold War marked this significant shift in political ideology.
  2. The essay faces criticisms for oversimplifying the relationship between free markets and democracy, especially how some countries have adopted capitalism without embracing democratic reforms. This indicates that economic success doesn't guarantee political freedoms.
  3. Fukuyama's idea of an 'end of history' raises concerns about a mundane future lacking ideological struggle. His reflections remind us that historical progress might not adhere to a neat path and can reinvigorate conflicts rather than eliminate them.

[Transcript] The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism with Matt McManus

JoeWrote • 8 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism
  1. Liberal socialism combines ideas from both liberalism and socialism. It supports the idea that the economy should be democratic while protecting personal rights and properties.
  2. Socialists can also embrace liberal principles like freedom of expression and religious toleration. The relationship between socialism and liberalism is complex, and both sides can learn from each other.
  3. To achieve change, rebuilding the labor movement is essential. Socialists can work within the Democratic Party while also considering creating alternative parties to push for more leftist policies.

Regime Change Review

Theory Matters • 14 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
📖 Philosophy Liberalism
  1. Regime Change Review offers a solution to the dominant ideology of our times
  2. Critiques liberal democracy, provides an alternative
  3. Sequel to 'Why Liberalism Failed', serves as a manual for creating change